Unexpected but not Unwanted
by MidwesternMandarin
Summary: Isaac Lahey wasn't used to people caring about him, not really and not for years anyway even if he'd had people who cared about him in the past. So when Scott McCall, someone he's fought with several times before, tells him to be careful it comes as a bit of a shock. Scott/Isaac.
1. Chapter 1: Concern

Scott/Isaac

Author's Note: So I've recently discovered Teen Wolf, which is better than I expected it to be, and I decided to write a little something. Nothing romantic just yet, that'll come later. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_"I don't want you to get hurt."_

He honestly couldn't remember a time when anyone had said anything like that to him and those words kept repeating themselves over and over. It had been years since his brother had left to join the military, years more when his mother had died, and his father hadn't uttered a single loving word for a long time.

But then Scott just said _that_ like he really cared. Like the two of them hadn't fought before, hell nearly tried to kill each other, and like Isaac hadn't been a suspect in his father's murder. Scott wasn't a member of the pack either, having specifically turned Derek down several times. It had even been said differently than how Derek would've. He knew Derek's interest was more in Isaac as a pack member rather than in Isaac as a person.

After the trouble with the kanima was over for the night and Scott recovered enough from the wolfsbane poisoning to go home, Isaac found himself heading over to Scott's house. He hadn't been hurt, even after the ketamine failed to stop Jackson, so Derek hadn't been too concerned about him sticking around. After making it to Scott's house, he opened the window as quietly as he could and slipped into Scott's room.

But he didn't say anything or do anything to wake the other werewolf. He was curious, but he didn't know what words to use. Didn't know exactly what he wanted to ask or how. So he sat in the open windowsill and stared at Scott. As if just watching him could reveal the answers he wanted.

He didn't know how long he sat there, alternatively looking at Scott and the things in his room, before he decided to head back home. He didn't want Scott to know he'd been there, he would probably think Isaac had been there on Derek's orders. Besides, he hadn't found the answers he was looking for and he was getting tired. So he scratched at the back of his head and left as quietly as he had come.

* * *

Scott opened his eyes and sat up as soon as he was sure that Isaac had left. He'd been a little worried at first when he realized Isaac was in his room, but the other werewolf had just … sat there. Like he didn't want to cause any trouble or even let Scott know he was there. So Scott had pretended to be asleep and Isaac hadn't caught on. He wasn't sure, but he had gotten the impression that Isaac was troubled by something. What that was, Scott didn't know but really wished he did and wanted to find out.

* * *

Isaac wasn't sure if he was being paranoid, but it felt like Scott was watching him all the next day at school. He didn't think he had done anything that would make Scott suspicious, except for the late night visit but Scott had been asleep. Right? He shook his head at that, knowing it wouldn't help going back and forth in his mind about that. If Scott really wanted to talk to him, he would. Whatever it was about. Scott wasn't the kind of guy to beat around the bush if he thought it was important.

So he wasn't actually all that surprised when Scott caught up to him after school finished and led him off to a deserted corner, Isaac remaining silent so that Scott could lead the conversation. He was admittedly a little nervous because half the time Scott wanted to talk to him there was some sort of crisis going on.

After an awkward moment, Scott finally said, "So, um, did something come up last night? After I got back home?"

Isaac shook his head, "No. Why do you ask?"

That answer didn't seem to satisfy Scott, who opened and closed his mouth several times before finally figuring out what to say, "Well … then, why did you come to my room last night?"

He looked away at that, glad that there was no one else around to overhear their conversation, and scratched at the back of his head sheepishly, knowing that he wouldn't be able to lie his way out of this, "I … was curious about something."

Clearly that wasn't the answer Scott was expecting, not with the confusion on his face, "Uh, okay. Checking up on me for Derek?"

He shook his head again, "No. Derek had nothing to do with that. Its just … I'm not used to anyone worrying about me. Really worrying about me."

Isaac wasn't sure how to feel when the look in Scott's eyes changed from confusion to a mix of understanding, sadness, and pity, "Oh. Well, that's what friends do."

He raised a brow, "We're friends?"

Scott nodded quickly and Isaac was sure they were thinking the same things, reflecting on the times they'd fought, by the look on his face, but Scott seemed oddly determined, "Unless you want us to be enemies. We may not be pack and we may fight sometimes, but I'd still rather have you around than not."

Now Isaac was the one who wasn't sure how to react because no one had really cared before, at least not for a long time, but Scott looked like he was waiting for an answer so Isaac nodded back, "Friends then."

That brought a smile to Scott's lips, but before he could say anything else Stiles was there with his usual mile-a-minute conversation speed when he got excited about something and practically dragged Scott away. But since Scott just went along with it, Isaac felt reasonably sure that some new crisis hadn't erupted. So he headed off, at a slower pace than Scott and Stiles, as he thought about the conversation he'd just had.


	2. Chapter 2: Sticking Around

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So, next chapter is up. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Teen Wolf or anything regarding that. If I did, Scott would not be involved with Allison. He'd be with a guy because a gay protagonist of a well-written show dealing with supernatural things would be absolutely amazing and I've never seen that.

* * *

_"I came to win."_

Scott had been shocked to see Isaac come back. He'd expected the other werewolf to just run off on his own or with Erica and Boyd, he'd said it before how he didn't have anyone in Beacon Hills. After all the crap Isaac had had to put up with and all the pain he'd endured, Scott had been sure Isaac would run off to avoid being put through more pain.

So Scott was a bit confused by it and wanted to ask Isaac about it as soon as he had the chance, but didn't get the opportunity until all the trouble with Gerard was finished. Then Allison broke up with him and that was another big shock at first. He understood that she wanted to get her head on straight, having gone a bit crazy with her mom's death. That didn't mean it didn't hurt, however.

But he didn't forget what Isaac had said the night of that lacrosse game and focusing on that helped him ignore the pain of breaking up with Allison. He wasn't quite sure why his mind kept going back to Isaac over and over, but he tried to ignore that too. Instead he just tried to keep an eye open for Isaac.

He saw his opportunity a few days after all the craziness finally came to an end when he was out walking in the forest and spotted Isaac doing the same thing, hurrying over before Isaac could run off for whatever reason, "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Isaac nodded, looking surprised at seeing Scott, but he kept walking, "Sure. I don't really have anything else I need to be doing right now. Its kind of nice, actually."

Scott couldn't hold back a sigh, feeling jealous of Isaac's free time, "Wish I could say the same. How'd you manage to pass all your classes with all the werewolf craziness?"

Isaac grinned lopsidedly, but kept his eyes on the forest around them, hands in his pockets, "One of the few good things about my dad by the time he died was that he forced me to get good grades, get the work done. Had a little bit of a break from that right after Derek gave me the bite, but then I just … couldn't not do the homework. Never going to be top of the class or anything, but I'm not about to fail."

He was kind of surprised that Isaac was willing to talk about his dad without any prompting or resistance. But then Isaac had changed a lot with the bite. Maybe it helped with the memories and the abuse. Yet despite Isaac's grin, when Scott got a look at his eyes he saw that there was still pain there.

So he decided not to press Isaac on that, instead he just nodded and asked, "Think you could help me with that, if things ever get that crazy again? Help keep me on track so I don't have to do summer school again?"

Isaac chuckled at that and Scott, ignoring the fact that Isaac was laughing at him, was happy to see the pain fading from Isaac's blue eyes, "Yeah, I can do that … or try, at least."

Scott frowned at the last thing that Isaac had said, but not because of the words. It was because of the tone in his voice and the look on his face, almost as if Isaac expected something to happen. Immediately, he wanted to ask if something was happening that he should know about, but held himself back. If some big new crisis was coming, he probably wouldn't miss it and even if he did than someone would surely fill him in before it was over.

Instead, after a few minutes of silence because apparently Isaac didn't mind lulls in conversation, he decided to get to the point, the thing that had been bugging him ever since he'd heard the words, "Hey, uh, why did you come back the night of the lacrosse game? I thought you said you didn't have anyone here or any reason to stick around."

Isaac looked at him quickly, out of the corner of his eyes, before watching their path again and Scott was sure there was a bit of tension in his voice when he answered, "I was wrong about that. I mean, I didn't think I had anyone, but as I was running off I had some time to think. I didn't used to have anyone, before the bite I didn't have a single friend. Only my dad … and you know how bad that was."

Scott nodded, even though he knew he could never really appreciate how bad the abuse had been because while he could understand it in his head he hadn't actually experienced it, "Yeah. But how did becoming a werewolf change that?"

At that question, Isaac finally turned his head and looked at him, giving Scott his full attention, "You keep saying that being a werewolf is a curse, like being a werewolf is so terrible. But its not. At least, not for me it isn't. I've never felt better and there are actually people who care about me now. I have a pack, even if it is just Derek now, and I have someone who wants to be my friend."

And Scott knew that Isaac was referring to him and even though any normal teenager would be aghast at the thought of only having one person who would consider them a friend, he knew it was a big deal for Isaac. In a good way. He'd been shocked when he found out that Jackson had known about the abuse that Isaac suffered, but hadn't done or said anything. Isaac had been a bit of a ghost before becoming a werewolf.

Plus there was this earnestness in Isaac's voice and Scott just couldn't find it in him to doubt that, whatever his own feelings about werewolves, Isaac loved being one, and Scott understood where Isaac was going with this, "So you came back."

Isaac nodded, but the earnestness disappeared from his voice and was replaced by a bit of melancholy, "Yeah. It may not seem like much, but its more than I've had for a long time. So I came back. Would've felt terrible if my only friend died and I could've done something about that."

Scott immediately looked up at Isaac, wondering exactly how important that last bit had been, but decided instead to lighten the mood a little, "I'm your only friend? Not even Stiles after all he's done to help us?"

Isaac smiled and Scott knew he practically laughed, which made him feel like he had accomplished something because Isaac genuinely smiling and laughing at something was really rare, "No. I think I kind of scared him off."

"Yet he continues to hang around when things get crazy."

That got a nod from Isaac, "And he's supposed to be the smart one. I'm actually really surprised he hasn't gotten seriously hurt like the rest of us."

They continued talking for a while until Scott remembered that he had some studying to do. He was reluctant to go, but Isaac, upon hearing why Scott had to get going, had just shooed him away with a smirk on his face and promised that he'd be sticking around Beacon Hills so it wasn't like they couldn't talk again later. It wasn't until much later that night that Scott realized he hadn't thought of Allison all day and that instead he'd been thinking about Isaac. He wasn't sure what to make of that just yet, but he was grateful for the distraction from all the angst of his girlfriend breaking up with him.


	3. Chapter 3: Girlfriend Problems

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So this chapter is in the summer before Season 3 starts happening and, as in the show, Scott has no clue about the Alpha pack yet. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

After that first conversation in the forest, Scott and Isaac fell into a comfortable pattern. If one of them felt like talking about something or just hanging out they would text the other and usually they would meet up in the forest. Scott quickly caught on to the fact that Isaac liked wandering through the trees a lot more than hanging out in crowded public places. He'd also come to realize that, unlike when he was hanging out with Stiles, he wasn't constantly thinking or reminded of Allison. He was able to just enjoy himself with Isaac around.

When he mentioned that to Isaac, it brought a smile to the other werewolf's lips, "I'm glad I could help. But, I don't know, don't you think she might be a little more trouble than she's worth?"

Scott frowned instantly, but Isaac's tone of voice wasn't accusatory, it was filled with curiosity and a bit of confusion so he didn't take offense at the question, "What do you mean?"

Isaac scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly for a minute before answering, "Well, she's from a family of hunters and you're a werewolf. Her mom tried to kill you and after she died Allison tried to kill Erica, Boyd, and me. They want to kill us just because we're werewolves, it doesn't matter to them that we don't go around killing people."

He didn't respond at first, just nodded so that Isaac would know he'd heard him. Isaac could've been a bit biased toward Allison because she'd tried to kill him, but it'd hurt a lot when he saw that look in her eyes that said he was an enemy. But he'd also seen the pain there and hadn't been able to bring himself to tell her that Mrs. Argent had died because she had been trying to kill him first.

And Isaac was right that there was a lot of trouble with their relationship because of Allison's family and Scott being a werewolf. There was a certain rush to sneaking around behind everyone's backs, but aside from that rush what did he and Allison have? It had felt great at the time, but it was complicated and troublesome. Thinking back on their relationship and all the craziness that had gone on in Beacon Hills, Scott wanted something that felt … comfortable and simpler. Or at least, not complicated in the parents-will-literally-try-to-kill-me-if-they-find -out kind of way.

With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly said, "I guess you're right. I still care for her … but maybe I should just let it go. But its nice to have someone to be with, you know?"

Isaac let out a soft snort and shook his head, "Actually, I don't, Scott. Friendless, abused boy who became a werewolf, remember?"

Scott smiled a little at the lighthearted tone in Isaac's voice, but felt a bit of sadness at the words and he didn't like that thought at all because Isaac was a great guy, "I'm sure you'll find someone."

Isaac nodded, but didn't look convinced and his next words were a confirmation of that, "Who would want to have me as a boyfriend?"

He wasn't completely sure what to say to that, especially when the stray thought crossed his mind that he wouldn't mind going out with Isaac, so he settled on, "You'll find someone."

The conversation didn't last long after that. Isaac was feeling a little depressed, that Scott could tell without even a shadow of a doubt, because of the direction of the conversation while Scott was feeling a little shaken at that stray thought of his and quickly came up with an excuse to get home. Once there he was able to focus on that startling revelation.

Was he really interested in Isaac? He'd honestly never looked at guys before, but now that he thought about it he couldn't really think of anything to complain about with Isaac. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he loved seeing Isaac smile because his entire face seemed to transform with those smiles. Isaac smiling, really smiling, was a rare occurrence and Scott was sure that his father's abuse was a big reason for that, but that made those smiles that much better to see.

That and other thoughts bounced around his head as struggled to come to terms with the sudden idea of hooking up with Isaac. Part of his mind reflexively turned toward Allison and wondered how she'd take the news if he and Isaac got together, but he pushed that thought away as soon as he had it. Shouldn't he be more concerned about his own happiness than Allison's? It was his life after all and she had broken up with him.

When he finally stopped thinking about it, because he really had to study for summer school, he had to admit that he was still conflicted. Unsure of how to feel about any possible attraction to Isaac. But he was sure that he'd do his best to prevent any potential interest in Isaac as more than a friend from damaging their friendship.

* * *

Isaac remained behind in the forest for a little bit after Scott ran off and, despite the bad memories that had risen to the surface, he had noticed how Scott had gotten flustered right at the end of their conversation. He wasn't sure why. There was one reason that he would like it to be, but honestly didn't think Scott would have any interest in him. Not after being with Allison for so long and not when Scott's feelings on being a werewolf were pretty much the complete opposite of Isaac's. Didn't mean he couldn't hope.

After about half an hour of just wandering through the trees, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out to see a text from Derek, _Are you free? We need to keep looking._

Isaac nodded to himself, albeit a bit anxiously, as he texted back, _Yeah. Where to this time?_

Once Derek's reply came, he was off. Erica and Boyd had disappeared and Derek was determined to find them and help them if anything bad had happened to them. Isaac had been a little surprised by that, seeing as they had run off on their own, but he supposed that Derek felt responsible in some way after turning them into werewolves. So he was off looking for their runaway pack members, any potential information on the Alpha pack that had wandered into town, and at the same time he was doing his best to avoid being spotted by them.

He hoped he had better luck this time than he'd had before.


	4. Chapter 4: Hiding

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: Just a reminder, Scott knows nothing about the Alpha pack until the end of the first episode of the third season and I'm sticking to that. I'll also go with the idea that Derek doesn't want Scott to know so Isaac knows not to tell him. I kind of got that feeling from Derek when I watched that episode. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Isaac didn't stop or slow down to look behind him to see if he was still being chased, but those twin Alphas had spotted him and known immediately what he was. He hadn't stuck around to see if they were friendly. But now he was actually getting tired and worried about how much longer he could run and how much further he could go before they outsmarted.

He'd felt like Superman right after the bite, but he knew now that he could get hurt just like anyone else. Plus, he knew that these Alphas were stronger than him, there were two of them, and they were probably faster than him too. The last part he wasn't sure of, but he kept running as fast as he could as he desperately tried to think of some place to go. Some place to hide because fighting them was a really bad idea.

But he had this feeling that running right back to Derek's place wouldn't be a good idea, either. So he decided to head for the only other place he could think of, Scott's house. He just really hoped it didn't turn into a big brawl in Scott's living room. Even though Mrs. McCall knew about werewolves it would be kind of hard to explain and he'd feel really bad about it.

When he got there, he stopped for a second to look around and tried to catch the scent of the Alphas chasing him. But he couldn't smell, see, or hear them. Which was a relief for all of two seconds because while them not being nearby was nice, it meant he had no clue where they were and he wasn't eager to get jumped by two Alphas in the middle of the night. So he climbed into the window of Scott's room, feeling a little relieved that Scott wasn't right there because that would have been awkward.

He closed the window, panting heavily from his unexpected marathon, and decided to sit down next to the bed as he calmed down. He felt absolutely no shame in being scared of those Alphas and he was hoping that his scent, if he really had gotten away from them, would get masked by those of Scott and his mother. Unfortunately if it did work he would never be sure if it was just because those Alphas had given up or if it was a worthwhile trick. He kind of hoped it would be the latter.

But just in case he hadn't given those twin Alphas the slip, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Derek to let him know what was going on. Then he put his phone away and looked at the wound on his arm. One of the Alphas had gotten him with their claws, but thankfully only the once because it wasn't healing as fast as usual. He hissed as he ripped his sleeve off and pressed it on the gashes.

* * *

Scott woke with a start, groaning as he sat up on the couch. It took him a moment or two of being really annoyed by the television before he really came to his senses. When he did, he turned it off right away and checked the time, letting out another groan at seeing that it was now past midnight. He really hadn't meant to be asleep on the couch this late and knew he should head to his room before his mom got back from work.

He started getting up from the couch, but stopped when he noticed something that shouldn't be there. He could smell blood and hear someone panting heavily. But the strangest thing about it was that it was coming from his room and knew there hadn't been anyone else in the house when he fell asleep. He quickly checked his phone to make sure no one had texted to let him know they were coming over. No one had.

So he cautiously went back to his room, tense and with claws out just in case, to open the door and see Isaac sitting there, curled up against his bed and one of his arms were bloody, "Isaac! What are you doing here? Are you hurt?"

Isaac watched him as he entered the room and came down to eye level, but Isaac didn't say anything. Scott could tell that Isaac was trying to think of something to say, but not coming up with anything and he wasn't in much of a mood to wait with Isaac still bleeding as he sat there. That part confused him a lot and scared him as well because werewolves were supposed to heal very quickly.

"Did someone attack you?"

Hearing the worry in Scott's voice seemed to get Isaac to speak, but Scott wasn't satisfied when the other werewolf just said, "Don't worry about it, Scott. I'll be fine. Really. Just, would you mind if I stayed here tonight?"

Scott couldn't believe that Isaac was downplaying his injury, "But you're not fine! You're still bleeding and werewolves don't stay hurt this long. Did something happen with Derek?"

Isaac quickly shook his head, "No, nothing happened with Derek. Look, its not that bad, really. I've gone through worse with my dad. If I can just stay over for the night, that'd be great."

Briefly, Scott wondered if Isaac had gotten into another bad relationship, except this time with Derek hurting him instead of Isaac's dad doing it, but he dismissed that thought. He knew Derek wouldn't hurt his pack if he could avoid it and Isaac wouldn't have done anything to get Derek angry enough to hurt him. Which made him wonder what was going on that would cause an injured Isaac to come to his room without telling him beforehand. But he ignored that for now, since Isaac clearly didn't want to talk about it, and focused on Isaac's injury.

"Let me see that."

Isaac blinked, surprised, then silently took his hand off his arm, allowing Scott to see four slashes. Just like a werewolf. But he reminded himself not to get worked up about knowing what caused this, no matter how much he wanted to know and he _really_ wanted to know who had hurt Isaac. Instead he got up and headed for the bathroom, telling Isaac there was a first aid kit there since his wounds weren't healing at the usual speed.

As he retrieved the kit, he also tried not to think about those words that Isaac had spoken while trying to reassure Scott. He'd said his dad had done worse to him, which was kind of bone chilling to Scott because he'd seen the Lahey house but it made him wonder how bad it had really been. That thought made him want to protect Isaac as much as he could because Isaac had gone through way too much pain already and yet he was still a good guy to be around. He was even nicer than Jackson and Jackson had had loving (if adoptive) parents.

So he focused on bandaging Isaac's wound while Isaac looked on silently until it was finished, at which point he quietly said, "Thank you."

Scott looked up at him and nodded easily, "Don't mention it. But you're not going to tell me how this happened?"

Isaac shook his head stubbornly, but his tone was apologetic, "No, I'm not."

He let out a sigh and decided not to push it in the hope that Isaac would open up on his own, which probably wouldn't happen but he could cling to hope, "Alright. You can stay in here with me. I'd rather not have to explain to my mom why you showed up without me letting her know you were coming."

Isaac let out a relieved sigh and stood while Scott went to put the first aid kit back, "Thanks, really. But … should I just sleep on the floor? I feel like I'm intruding on you."

Scott wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that because while Isaac was intruding a bit, he had obviously been hurt, and now he was trying to avoid inconveniencing Scott any further. It was nice of Isaac to be thinking of that, but Scott didn't want to make the other werewolf uncomfortable if he could help it. He just hoped that things wouldn't get awkward with his mom in the morning.

"No, the bed's big enough for two. I mean, neither of us are fat or anything. Just … uh, don't try anything."

Isaac snorted and looked away, but not before Scott saw him grinning, "Like what? Sleeping together wasn't my idea."

And then Scott was gaping and hurried to say, "I didn't mean it like that!"

But Isaac's grin turned into a broad smile and Scott had the distinct feeling that Isaac was trying hard not to laugh at him, "Of course not. Don't worry, I'll behave as long as you do."

Scott put his hands over his face to cover his blush because his mind started going in that direction for a brief second before he put a firm stop to that and groaned, "I'm actually getting a little worried now."

When he was confident he wasn't blushing anymore he looked up to see that Isaac wasn't looking at him anymore, instead at the books in his room and he got the feeling that there was a kind of respectfulness in that, and when Isaac spoke all he said was, "Sorry. Best behavior, promise."

Scott let out a relieved sigh, grateful that Isaac knew when to stop. A few minutes later they were both in bed and Isaac must have been tired because he fell asleep in seconds. Scott couldn't help but feel a little bit awkward about it. He was starting to really look at Isaac every time he saw him and having Isaac in the same bed just made it worse. But he pushed his growing attraction for the taller werewolf down because now was not the time and let his mind wander through the possibilities of what might have caused Isaac to show up at his house with a bloody, slow-healing wound. Before he knew, he was fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Clarity

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So if you're wondering about how much Allison's name pops up in this chapter, its because of how important she was to Scott for the first two seasons. I can't just make her disappear from Scott's mind. She lingers a bit. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Scott still hadn't found out what Isaac had been up to that had caused that wound of his. He had the feeling that Derek wouldn't be helpful at all because Derek was Isaac's alpha and he didn't think Isaac would really be doing anything dangerous unless Derek ordered it. Allison wouldn't know anything and he wasn't all that eager to see her again for anything werewolf-related. That left Peter and Stiles who might know something but Stiles was on vacation and Scott really didn't want to disturb his friend after everything that had happened during the school year while Peter would probably be as helpful as Derek.

So while he was practically dieing to get answers, he didn't think he would be any. A few days had passed since Isaac had shown up at his house and the slashes on his arm were gone. But that didn't mean that he stopped thinking about it. Instead it was the opposite, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

It bothered him so much that he had trouble focusing on his work for summer school. Which started to make him wonder how strong his feelings really were for the other werewolf because worrying over Allison hadn't been like this. And that bothered him because Allison was just human, meaning whatever was dangerous for Isaac was even more dangerous for her, but Isaac kept popping up in his mind with those slashes across his arm that looked like they had been made by another werewolf.

After struggling to focus on summer school homework until it was finished, with the intention of double-checking it later, he took off for a walk through the forest to try and clear his head. Because he knew that if he was stuck thinking about Isaac all the time, and not entirely sure why he was doing it, his grades would suffer. The same thing had happened during the normal school year, except the focus then had been the kanima craziness.

When he got to the forest he focused on that, the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about Isaac and worrying about him now that he knew Isaac was doing something dangerous. About that moment in Dr. Deaton's office when Isaac had taken that dog's pain away, the tears and the smile that he had seen on Isaac's face that he had never seen before. About when Isaac had been paralyzed by Jackson at the championship game and then nearly killed by Gerard.

He focused on that night and everything that had happened, finding that as he did he found himself comparing Isaac to Allison. Looking back at all the times that Allison had been in danger, he realized that she'd never really gotten hurt. Not badly, at least. But she kept getting involved like she knew what it was like and claimed that she could take care of herself. It was nice that she helped out, but there was a kind of innocence to it.

When Isaac had come back, Scott knew that he'd known the stakes of it all. Isaac knew what pain was like, knew he was risking his life and had no illusions that what they were doing would be easy, but he'd come back anyway. He'd nearly died a couple of times in the process, but he kept going. Especially when he could've just run away and not looked back. It might've been the safer thing for him to do. But Isaac had returned for the game and subsequent fight with Gerard.

Thinking about Isaac leaving, or dieing somewhere along the way during the kanima craziness, was something Scott tried to avoid. He hated the thought of Isaac not being around anymore. But he wasn't sure which reason he hated more, Isaac not being around because someone had killed him or Isaac not being around because he'd given up on everyone in Beacon Hills. In a way, he almost hated the idea of Isaac just running off more because that would mean he'd given up on the only people he really cared about; Derek and Scott.

He loved spending time with Isaac, whether it was just hanging out or if Isaac was helping him with summer school. If Stiles was gone or for some reason unavailable, or if it was something that Scott just didn't want to talk to Stiles about, he'd go to Isaac. That was only a very recent development, but it didn't make it matter any less. And a knot formed in his stomach every time he thought of Isaac going out to do whatever the hell it was he was doing and getting hurt even worse than last time.

He turned when he heard someone call out his name to see Isaac coming toward him, the gashes on his arm now fully healed, and smiled brightly, "Hey. What are you doing out here?"

Isaac grinned lopsidedly, "I could ask you the same question. You're the one with summer school and a job to worry about."

Scott just takes the jibe in stride, "I asked first."

The taller werewolf just shook his head, grin firmly in place, before saying, "Just wanted to get away from people for a bit. Some people are looking into buying my dad's house and I didn't want to be around while they inspect it. Plus Derek's place isn't exactly comfortable."

He frowned at that, not having realized that Isaac wasn't living at his house anymore, "You're living with Derek?"

Isaac nodded a little sadly, "Yeah. Too many bad memories to really enjoy staying in my dad's house. But Derek's place is really uncomfortable, no air conditioning for when its hot and no heating for when its cold. He seriously needs a better place."

Scott nodded agreement and before he even thought about, he said, "You can stay at my house if you want. We've got air conditioning, even running water too."

Isaac smiled at the joke, but Scott suddenly realized what he had said and it was like a lightbulb going off in his head. He wanted Isaac to stay with him. Not just that, he wanted Isaac. Just like he'd wanted Allison. It didn't matter that Isaac was a guy.

But Isaac must have heard his increased heart rate at that realization because he asked, "Did you just realize you don't actually have running water?"

Scott laughed shakily, causing Isaac's smile to widen, but he shook his head at the question, "Uh, no. I was just thinking that … whatever it is that you're doing that got you hurt before, try to be careful. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

Isaac stopped to look at him carefully, "Sure. I've been careful, but what got you so worried about me all of a sudden?"

He started and stopped a few times, feeling flustered and unsure of how to say it, then decided to just go for it because he didn't know how dangerous it was for Isaac to be doing whatever it was he was doing and pressed a quick kiss to Isaac's lips. Which felt a little odd because Isaac was taller than him and then he felt weird for focusing on that. But he focused on Isaac, who looked a bit shocked at being kissed.

He was nervous as he waited for Isaac to say something, but he was encouraged when he saw a smile tugging at Isaac's lips, "Seriously?"

Then a smile was tugging at Scott's lips because of the happiness he heard in Isaac's voice and he nodded quickly. Before he could do anything else, Isaac's arms were around him and this time Isaac was the one leaning in for a kiss. A surge of relief went through him because he really hadn't thought that out and it could've ended really badly, but it didn't. The kissing didn't last long though because Isaac pulled back, although he kept his arms around Scott's shoulders. A low whine escaped his lips, which earned him a chuckle from Isaac.

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time for more. Especially if I'm staying with you from time to time."

Scott smiled broadly at that as he looked up into Isaac's blue eyes, feeling grateful that he wasn't the only one grinning like a fool, "Good, because a few kisses isn't enough."

Isaac nodded in agreement and Scott could tell from the look in his eyes that he knew exactly what Scott meant, "And we won't have to worry about crazy relatives trying to kill either of us."

Scott wrapped his arms around Isaac's waist and laid his head on his now-boyfriend's shoulder, quietly saying, "But seriously, try to be careful when you're out doing whatever it is you won't tell me about. You have someone to come back to now."

He felt Isaac's arms tighten around him, "I will. I promise."

He wasn't sure if Isaac was promising to be careful or to come back, probably both, but he knew he had homework to double check when he got home and it the sun was starting to set, "We should get back home. I have homework that needs doing and you promised to help."

Isaac chuckled and disentangled himself from Scott, "You sure your new boyfriend sitting next to you won't be a distraction?"

He quickly grabbed Isaac's hand before he could get too far away, "I'm sure. Besides, you can be distracting when its finished."

Isaac just grinned as they headed back to Scott's house.


	6. Chapter 6: Nightmares

Isaac/Scott

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Isaac woke with a start, sitting bolt upright, chest heaving. He couldn't remember where he was or how he'd gotten there, just that he was terrified. Everything around him was dark and quiet and he couldn't see a thing.

The panic was lessened when he heard a familiar voice groggily ask, "Isaac? What's wrong?"

That got his mind working again and he started to remember where he was. He was in bed with Scott in Scott's house. They had gone to bed together and it was the middle of the night. Vague images started coming back to him and he realized he'd had another nightmare.

Scott was sitting up and looking at him, now fully awake, and Isaac felt a little guilty for waking him, "Sorry. It was just a dream. Go back to sleep."

But Scott didn't just go back to sleep, instead he turned toward Isaac and put a hand on his bare shoulder, "Isaac, whatever it was it freaked you out enough that you're shaking like a leaf. Can you please tell me?"

He let out a long, shaky sigh and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that Scott was frowning and looking very concerned. It wasn't something that he was quite used to yet, even though Scott was his boyfriend now. Part of him was embarrassed that he was still being plagued by nightmares, although not every night, even after his dad had died and he'd become a werewolf. But he also knew that Scott wasn't about to drop it.

"Um … Derek showed you what my house looked like right?" Scott nodded. "And the basement?" Scott nodded again and Isaac saw a hint of anger in his expression, which he hoped was anger at Isaac's dad for what he'd been put through, "Its not always easy to move on from that, even though I know he's dead and can't do anything anymore."

Scott pulled him in close for a hug and Isaac buried his head in Scott's neck as he wrapped his arms around Scott, who softly asked, "Does this happen a lot?"

"Sometimes. Not always. I'm sorry for waking you."

He felt Scott's arms tighten around him and one hand worked its way into his curly hair and there was a hint of anger in his voice as he spoke, "Hey, its not your fault. None of it. Your dad … I can't even imagine what it must have been like with him. Don't worry about me, really."

He nodded against Scott's neck and closed his eyes, letting his senses be filled with Scott because he knew that would be the easiest way for him to calm down. To his credit, Scott just kept his arms around Isaac and held him close as he waited for him to calm down. Isaac knew that out of the two of them Scott needed his sleep more and he was grateful that Scott was willing to stay up to deal with his issues.

It made Scott that much better in his eyes. He was sure that Derek knew, he'd woken up like this several times at the Hale house. But Derek hadn't really said or done anything that was helpful. He'd said a few things that Isaac couldn't really remember, just vague talk, but then had left Isaac to deal with it himself. He supposed it wasn't an alpha's job to babysit everyone in the pack, but it was nice to have someone who seemed to really care about these nightmares he was having.

After a few minutes of sitting there in the darkness at whatever god-awful time in the morning it was, Isaac softly spoke, "I think I'm okay now."

He felt Scott nod and lay back down, keeping his arms around Isaac. Isaac kept his head on Scott's bare chest, wanting to hear his boyfriend's heartbeat. However weird that might sound, he knew it'd help him focus on something happy and hopefully help keep the nightmares away. Briefly he wondered if Scott would fall asleep first, not having been scared awake by a nightmare, but listening to the calm steady rhythm of Scott's heart and curling up against him, he fell back to sleep pretty quick.


	7. Chapter 7: Doors

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: This is still in the summer between seasons 2 and 3. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Every time he saw that symbol on the door, he felt a bit of trepidation. He always wondered how much the Alpha pack knew about them, how many there might be, what they might be planning, and, his biggest worry, if they knew that he and Derek stayed at this house. He was pretty sure that the answer to that last one was a definitive yes. Why would they have painted that symbol on this particular door if they had no clue who lived there?

But thinking about all that caused him to get to what Derek was planning on doing, "You're sure painting over it is a good idea?"

Instead of Derek, it was Peter who answered, sounding much calmer than Isaac felt, "If they were just going to attack us, they would've done it by now. Putting that up here tells us they know that other werewolves are here."

He nodded and kept silent, since it was clear neither Derek nor Peter thought this was a bad idea, but Derek seemed to be aware of his apprehension, "Look, we don't need this constant reminder of the Alpha pack, we already know they're here, but I don't want others stumbling across our mess and making it worse. Hunters, Scott, Stiles. Scott and Stiles didn't ask to be part of all this, so let's keep them out of it if we can."

Isaac couldn't really argue with that and part of him really wanted Scott to stay out of this. Because the kanima and Gerard had really messed them up and there had just been the two of them. The Alpha pack was stronger than all of them, except maybe Derek, and they outnumbered Derek, Peter, Scott, and himself. Or at least he got the feeling that they did. He hadn't seen them all yet, not that he wanted to. Those twin Alphas had been more than enough for him.

Peter decided to interject again, "Speaking of the two who must not know, what are they up to? We don't want them crashing the party."

Derek looked at Isaac, who responded without any hesitation, "Scott should be getting out of school soon and he'll be heading to Stiles' house to play video games. They shouldn't be bothering us."

Peter looked visibly surprised by that, but instead of saying anything to Isaac he turned to Derek, "How is it that he knows what those two are doing? Do you have him following everybody now?"

Derek bristled, "Don't worry, I'm not having him keep tabs on you, Peter."

But it seemed the older werewolf wasn't appeased by that, "If he's following Scott around he won't have time to-"

"He's not following Scott. He knows what Scott's doing because Scott's his boyfriend."

Peter's brows rose, "Oh, alright then. Any progress on the Alpha pack yet? Or Erica and Boyd?"

Isaac shook his head at the same time that Derek grudgingly said, "Not yet. We had to back down on the searching after Isaac got jumped by two of the Alphas."

Peter glanced at him then back to Derek, "At least you didn't get hurt too badly. Sadly, I can't say that I've done any better. I have made a list of likely areas, but I haven't scouted them out myself. Thought it'd be better for someone at full strength to go looking."

He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and held it out for Derek, who took it and quickly glanced over what was written. Then he handed it to Isaac, who saw the names of a few places he had already searched. But there were others he hadn't.

When he looked up, Derek was watching him, "At least we have some more ideas. Got any plans tonight?"

Isaac sighed, he'd been hoping to spend time with Scott, "Nothing important."

But the way Derek was looking at him made him feel like the alpha werewolf had an idea of what he'd wanted to do, "Sorry, but we need to find them and you'll have plenty of time for Scott later. Start at the top of the list."

He nodded and headed off, knowing that Derek wanted this thing solved as quickly as possible. Not that he blamed him for it. He wanted to find Erica and Boyd too, he just couldn't help feeling disappointed that his potential time with Scott was being canceled.

* * *

"Seriously? Isaac?"

Scott nodded, "Yeah."

Stiles blinked, quite clearly shocked, "How did that happen?"

He gaped for a few seconds as he struggled to form a response before finally saying, "I'm not really sure, it just … happened. He grew on me, you know?"

Stiles just sort of stared, "No, not at all. What about Allison? I thought you were dead-set on getting back together with her."

He didn't answer immediately. He leaned back in his chair and thought about what he was going to say because he hadn't fully articulated his feelings yet. He just knew that his feelings for Allison had faded and his feelings for Isaac had grown, changed, and he was happy with Isaac.

Slowly, the words began to come together, "Well, there was this … rush to it with Allison because it was forbidden. Her family is all hunters and I'm a werewolf. It was all really exciting at the time, but then … her mother tried to kill me."

"Would've succeeded too if not for Derek."

He sighed, not happy that Stiles interrupted, but he was kind of used to that, "Yeah, then when we finally took care of Gerard I saw the look on her face when she was fighting Isaac and it was just …" he shook his head, "She would've killed him if she'd had the chance."

Stiles got to his feet and started pacing around his room, "And Isaac hasn't tried to kill people? Let's not forget that the two of you went at it more than once."

He let out another sigh, "I haven't forgotten. But Allison would've killed him just for being a werewolf. He hadn't done anything to deserve that, he just wanted to have a better life than what he went through with his dad. And I don't think Isaac would kill anyone, not unless he really had to, and despite everything that's happened to him he's still a great guy."

Stiles had stopped pacing by the time he finished and just sort of stared at him before letting out a sigh and flopping down onto the bed, "Alright, fine, you like Isaac. Might take some getting used to, I mean, you'll probably start inviting him over to play video games and watch tv and then I'll be this awkward third wheel while you two get all lovey-dovey."

He chuckled at that, happy that him being monopolized by Isaac was Stiles' biggest concern, "We wouldn't be that bad."

Stiles just propped himself up on his elbows and gave Scott a very disbelieving look, "Uh, okay, I'd buy that if that wasn't the way you were with Allison whenever there wasn't some monumental crisis to deal with."

He shook his head, but he was smiling as he did so, "Its different with Isaac, like … like we can just be ourselves when we're together. We don't have to sneak around and rush everything into what little time we have."

That earned him a sigh, "Right, okay. But if you start telling me about your sex life I will find some way to kick your ass, werewolf or not."

"Don't worry, that's private. Really private."

"Good. So, how's the schooling going? Going to keep up with the rest of us?"


	8. Chapter 8: Full Moon

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: Just a few observations about season 3 so far. Every kid in that high school seems to have a smartphone of some kind. Why does that English teacher have all of their numbers? Because that seems kind of weird. Also, why was that teacher in the school throughout the entire night? Prize for weird, overzealous teacher goes to that English teacher (don't know her name).

Anyway, I'm not sure what Isaac's living arrangements are after his dad gets killed. Maybe I just missed it somewhere, but I don't think its been really explained. So I'm going with the idea that he's living with Derek. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

He didn't flinch when the manacle snapped shut around his wrist, but that didn't mean he was completely fine with it. It brought back memories that he'd rather forget. At least it wasn't as bad as a freezer and it wasn't a punishment. This was just a precaution, a necessary precaution. Because he hadn't been in control the entire night of the last full moon. So here he was sitting in the decaying remains of a rail car, once again restrained in case he lost control.

Derek put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes, "You think you can control yourself this time?"

Isaac nodded, albeit a little nervously, "Yeah. I've got an anchor this time."

"Good. If you can maintain control through the whole night, we won't have to do this anymore."

He nodded again, but didn't say anything. He could feel the madness beginning to bubble up inside him, but he was determined to stay in control. This time he wouldn't let the full moon turn him feral for a night. It was the biggest downside to being a werewolf, at least in his mind, and he wanted to take control of that. He wanted this gift he'd been given to continue being a gift, not a curse like how Scott saw it.

But thinking of Scott helped keep the madness at bay, so he kept thinking of the other werewolf. Scott would be disappointed in him if he wasn't able to stay in control, not that he thought Scott would ever say it. Scott was such a decent person that he would just say comforting, reassuring words and express his certainty that Isaac would get it eventually.

Yet it wasn't Scott's disapproval that he kept at the forefront of his thoughts. It was Scott's love. How Scott didn't hold their past fights against him. How Scott didn't pry about the abuse and what his dad had done, instead just waiting for Isaac to open up on his own. Even if that meant not talking about it at all. How Scott didn't say a word about being woken up in the middle of the night by Isaac's nightmares and stayed awake as long as he thought was necessary to help Isaac calm down.

Those thoughts kept the madness at bay and when he was confident enough in his control, he looked up to see Derek standing nearby, no doubt watching just in case he needed to keep Isaac from going anywhere. There was an unmistakable wariness in his alpha's stance, but there was a look in Derek's eyes that spoke of calm. Like he had seen enough to know that Isaac wasn't about to go charging off somewhere, but was still standing there in the off-chance that he did.

Derek's brows rose as he asked, "You feel alright, Isaac?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I'm in control."

Derek smiled, although it was small and slight and those who didn't know him might miss it, "Good, that's good. How strong is your control? Shaky and almost slipping through your fingers or a strong, steady hold?"

Isaac didn't answer immediately, instead he cocked his head to the side and thought about it. He could feel the madness trying to surge up through him and take control and somehow there was a certain seductiveness to the idea of just letting go, running free. But he stopped that thought by thinking of Scott. How Scott felt about him, how Scott would feel if he lost control, and how he would feel if he attacked Scott because he'd lost control. Then he realized that while he'd need to keep focusing on it, the madness wasn't about to control him.

"Strong, steady."

Derek's almost nonexistent smile grew slightly, "Good."

He didn't really have anything to say to that so he just leaned back in the rusted seat he was sitting on and tried to keep his mind occupied, letting it wander from one thing to another while he kept the madness at bay and tried to ignore the almost nervous energy he felt flowing through him. He knew from experience that Derek wasn't much of a talker. It wasn't something that he minded much, except when it came to situations like these where they were both just sitting in the a rusty abandoned train yard waiting for the moon to set. Some kind of conversation to pass the time would be nice, alleviate the boredom a bit.

So he decided to give it a shot and hoped it wouldn't just be met by that silent look that made him uncomfortable, "So, the door's been painted over. You think the Alpha pack will do anything because of that?"

Derek continued to watch him, but he couldn't tell for the life of him what his alpha was thinking and after a long moment Derek answered him, "No. They might know about it, but I'd be surprised if they meant anything more by it than announcing their presence."

Isaac nodded, "Does that mean staying there is an option?"

Derek shook his head, "I'm looking for a new place. Something a bit more comfortable, more suitable for training. Hopefully it'll help keep us off their radar for a little while."

Another nod and he realized that he had to focus just a little bit more than normal to carry on a conversation. It was weird, but nothing to worry about. He was glad that they wouldn't be living in that burned out old house for much longer. It was just as uncomfortable as the house his dad had owned, albeit for very different reasons.

They stayed silent for … Isaac wasn't sure how long it was. Derek had taken his watch and phone away in case he lost control and unintentionally destroyed them. He couldn't really blame Derek for that, but he had no idea what time it was, only that the full moon was still up, and he was getting really bored just sitting there. It didn't help that with the full moon he couldn't really doze off and sleep the time away.

He had just about resigned himself to looking for patterns in the rust of the decrepit old rail car to try to stave off the boredom when he heard footsteps and then a second later he heard Scott's voice calling out, "Hey, Derek, why'd you call me down here?"

Isaac's heard jerked up and suddenly he wasn't bored anymore while Derek said, "Scott, in here."

Scott poked his head into the rail car, his lips curving into a slight smile when he saw Isaac, but then he looked at Derek, "Is something going on?"

Derek stood and gestured toward Isaac, "Nothing you have to worry about. Just thought the two of you would enjoy the full moon more if you were together."

Isaac struggled to keep his grin from getting too big while Scott looked both pleased and confused at the same time, which was an interesting combination to see, "Okay, thanks, but why wait to text me when you could've asked me to come over hours ago?"

Derek moved toward the exit, "I wanted to make sure Isaac could fully control himself before I brought anyone else close and he hasn't shown any sign of losing control. Just tell me if he does."

And with that Derek was gone, leaving Isaac a bit baffled before he remembered the many parts of Beacon Hills left for them to search for Erica and Boyd. He had to admit he was happy to see Scott though because this had been gearing up toward being his most boring night ever. But he did have one burning question that he wanted answered.

"What time is it?"

Scott looked a little confused by that, but glanced at his phone and said, "Just past midnight. Why?"

Isaac grinned lopsidedly as Scott sat down next to him, "I had no idea and Derek wouldn't tell me. Didn't realize how much time had passed."

Scott nodded and watched him carefully, "Speaking of things Derek won't tell us, can you still not tell me what he has you doing that got you hurt?"

He sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, pack only and you're not."

Scott sighed too, "Right." Then he seemed to perk up, "Any chance you can stay with me for the next few days?"

Isaac smiled and leaned against Scott, "I think there's a pretty good chance."

A grin formed on Scott's lips and he leaned in for a quick kiss as he wrapped an arm around Isaac's waist, "Awesome. I hate it when Derek keeps you away from me. How have you been sleeping? Still getting nightmares?"

"Not often, but every once in a while. Not as much when I'm with you."

Scott's grin grew a little at that, he never seemed to get used to how helpful he was for Isaac simply by being there, "Great, hopefully we can just head back to my place once the moon sets."

The conversation moved on to more mundane things after that and Isaac was actually a little surprised by how long they were able to talk about just … normal things. But they sat together and talked, with the occasional kiss and fond glance, for hours. He was more surprised at Derek's easy acquiescence to the idea of Isaac staying with Scott for a while. He'd thought Derek would want to rush him off to some new part of Beacon Hills he'd never been to before in the hope of finding Erica and Boyd or learning where the Alpha pack was hiding out.

With the sunrise came an end to the madness trying to take him over. It also meant he was heading back to Scott's house so they could get some sleep, although Scott wouldn't get as much as he would like thanks to summer school. Scott complained about that enough that Isaac promised he would help with whatever homework Scott came back with. But regardless of what the day would bring, both werewolves had smiles on their faces at the promise of more time together and at Isaac's accomplishment of staying in control for the entire full moon.


	9. Chapter 9: Movie Night

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: First of all, thank you to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited this story. Second, because I allude to it in this chapter I will make it clear; Isaac tops when they have sex. Third, this chapter takes place the day after the previous chapter. And finally, hope you enjoy.

* * *

When Isaac awoke, the first thing that crossed his mind was the fact that Scott was no longer in bed with him. Which surprised him because he'd been all over Scott when he fell asleep. He opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows to see Scott already fully dressed and reading a book.

Scott smiled as soon as he saw that Isaac was awake and came over to give him a kiss, which Isaac happily returned, "Hey, I was hoping you'd wake up before I had to go."

Isaac smiled back and pulled Scott in for another kiss, then pointed at the book he was still holding, "A little last-minute studying? You're not going to pass that way."

Scott shook his head before marking his page and putting the book back on his desk, looking a little embarrassed, "No, I, uh, wanted to do a little self-improvement over the summer. Get a little stronger, expand my mind a bit."

He had to admit he hadn't expected that and he was impressed by it, "What brought that on?"

Scott came over and sat down on the bed, Isaac sat up and put an arm around Scott's shoulders, not caring that Scott was dressed and he wasn't, knowing that this was important to his boyfriend as he spoke softly, "At first … it was a way to deal with Allison breaking up with me and to ignore the pain. Then I started thinking about everything that happened with Gerard and Jackson. Dr. Deaton told me that Gerard was so dangerous because he always had a plan and we only beat him after I came up with a plan of my own."

Isaac nodded, knowing that Scott wasn't taking pride in his role in defeating Gerard. He was just stating the facts. He was glad that Scott had come up with a plan because Derek hadn't had one. It had played a big part in Boyd and Erica's decision to leave. His own, too, even though he'd come back to join the fight.

He also knew where Scott was going with this, "And you thought that if anything like that ever happens again, maybe it won't be so bad if you're smarter, stronger."

Scott nodded, putting his arm around Isaac's waist and laying his head on Isaac's bare shoulder, "Yeah. I'd like to keep my mom from worrying over me, too. I couldn't really focus on it while it was happening, but she was really stressing out over me and my grades. I don't want to disappoint her again."

Isaac wasn't sure what to say to that since his own experience with his parents hadn't been anywhere close to Scott's, but when he saw the time on Scott's clock he said, "If you don't hurry, you just might."

Scott's head shot up and he was suddenly full of energy as he scrambled around the room to get all his things, "Crap, you're right. I should get going. I'll see you later."

He rushed out the door and Isaac could hear him stop just before he reached the front door. He frowned as Scott came back into his bedroom, but that frown turned into a smile when Scott leaned down to give him a kiss. When they pulled away, they were both out of breath and Scott was grinning like a fool as he made his way out of the house. Isaac couldn't stop smiling at that nor could he deny the warmth he felt at what had just happened.

He basked in that feeling for a moment because no one had ever done that before, not with him. But since he had never really just sat around doing nothing, courtesy of his dad, now that he was awake he decided to get going. After he showered and dressed, he checked his phone and saw that he had a message from Derek. He wanted Isaac to go out searching again.

Isaac couldn't help but sigh upon seeing that. He wanted to find Boyd and Erica, too, but Derek was pressing hard on it and seemed to get more stressed about it the longer they went without any sign of the missing werewolves. But with Scott busy with summer school and Isaac not working at all that day, he had no excuse not to help out. No matter how tired and nervous he was getting. That time when the twin Alphas had jumped him stood out in his mind prominently and he worried that they might know his scent now while he didn't know their's.

He slowly typed out a reply and sent it, letting Derek know that he would help and which location on the list he would search.

* * *

Scott had to admit that he was disappointed to see, after returning home, that Isaac wasn't there. At least he'd left a note saying he'd be back that night and apologizing for not being there when he got back. He'd probably left to do something for Derek and Scott was irritated that the alpha would call his boyfriend away for … whatever it was they were up to. He hated not knowing what it was because clearly it was dangerous, but Isaac refused to tell him and if Isaac refused to tell him he was sure that Derek wouldn't either.

His mom had also left a note letting him know when she'd be getting home and it made him a little happier to see that she'd be gone for most of the night. That meant he'd have some time alone with Isaac and that thought brought a smile to his face. But Isaac wasn't there at the moment and Scott didn't have to work, so he knew this was a good time to get his homework done.

So he went up to his room and focused on the subjects he should have passed during the regular school year. It took him longer than he liked to finish, mostly because he kept thinking about what to do with Isaac when they had a full night to themselves, and when he'd finished he double-checked everything so that his wandering mind didn't cause him to make stupid mistakes. It made him end up spending more time on his homework than he'd have liked, but he would hate himself if he screwed up any part of summer school.

He was finished before Isaac got back, which he was glad for because Isaac's presence would probably be too distracting for him to get anything done despite Isaac's promise to help with his homework. That left him with some time to kill which he used to get some reading done while every so often trying to think of what to do with Isaac when he returned. He didn't want to have Isaac come back and not have any idea of what they should do with their time.

Sex would be a quickly made suggestion, he knew, and while he was never disappointed by Isaac in that department, he didn't want their relationship to be focused on quick fucks. Although every time after they finished, Isaac got this wonderfully content look on his face like he couldn't be happier that Scott knew he would never get tired of seeing. He was positive that at least part of the reason for that look was the fact that he would always smell like Isaac afterward.

But when Isaac walked in the door and Scott saw how tired he was, he knew immediately what they would be doing, "Movie night?"

Isaac grinned, "Sounds good to me. I'm sorry that I had to go for awhile, but-"

Scott cut him off, "I know, that thing Derek doesn't want me to know about. Don't worry about it. You're here, you didn't get hurt this time, and I'd just like to spend some time with my boyfriend."

Isaac's grin grew and came closer to give Scott a kiss, "Then let's get it started."

* * *

The movie had ended about half an hour ago, but Scott had no intention of getting up to put a different one in. He was laying on the couch, Isaac laying on him with his head on Scott's chest, and his arms around Isaac. Isaac had fallen asleep sometime during the movie, but he wasn't sure exactly when. Scott didn't have the heart to get up as he was far too comfortable where he was and he didn't want to wake Isaac.

He smiled as he looked at Isaac's face and saw the peaceful, relaxed expression. He was glad to see that Isaac wasn't being bothered by nightmares for once. It probably didn't happen as often as it could, but Scott hated to see Isaac still suffering because of his dad's abuse, waking up in the middle of the night trembling and afraid. Whenever it happened, he held Isaac close and told him it was over, that his dad could never hurt him again.

It broke his heart that Isaac went through so much pain throughout his life. His dad's physical abuse, the nightmares and memories that lingered after the actual abuse had ended, the wounds he'd suffered since becoming a werewolf. Sure the wounds didn't last since Isaac was a werewolf now, but it just didn't seem fair that Isaac kept having to take so much crap.

He tried not to let Isaac see that side of him, however, because he knew Isaac didn't want pity. Isaac wanted to move on and Scott respected that. But that didn't stop him from going out of his way to make Isaac happy when he could or try to protect Isaac when he had a chance even though he knew Isaac didn't need protecting. Thankfully, whenever Isaac saw what he was doing, he didn't get mad or upset. More than anything, he seemed surprised when it happened, as if he never thought it possible that someone would try to protect him or do something nice for him.

But for now he tried not to focus on the past and all the crap that Isaac went through, instead he wriggled about on the couch, as gently as he could so he wouldn't wake Isaac, until he was comfortable. Spending the night on the couch wasn't a bad idea, not with Isaac already dead to the world and curled up against him, and he knew his mom wouldn't mind. Oddly enough, now that she knew about werewolves she seemed to like the idea of him being with Isaac better than the idea of him being with Allison. Plus, whatever it was that Derek had Isaac doing was keeping him busy or else he wouldn't have fallen asleep so quickly. And Scott couldn't say that he disliked the position he was in at the moment.

So he made himself comfortable, pressed a kiss to the curly hair atop Isaac's head, kept his arms tight around the amazing werewolf he'd fallen in love with, and closed his eyes. Whatever hardships might come tomorrow or the next day didn't matter because he had Isaac and Isaac had him and for now that was all that mattered.


	10. Chapter 10: Revelations

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: This chapter takes place just after the end of the first episode of season 3. Also, has anyone else noticed that Isaac, since being introduced on the show, seems to take more physical/emotional crap than any other character? Seriously, it never stops for him. Hopefully that'll change.

Also, crazy theory that I came up with. What if Ethan and Aiden don't remain with the Alpha pack forever? I'm unfamiliar with other actors who play bad guys being interviewed like the main characters have been and that's got me wondering. I think it would be a really cool twist if they were manipulated/forced into joining Deucalion's pack and ended up helping Scott and company at some point. Don't know if there's any reason to suspect that, but I just thought I'd put it out there.

Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

"That's what you've been doing all summer? Searching for Erica and Boyd and this Alpha pack? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Isaac flinched and hunched his shoulders as they walked and Scott immediately felt like a jerk upon seeing Isaac's reaction, he didn't want to upset his boyfriend but he needed to know what had been going on. Isaac had been risking his life against a pack of Alpha werewolves while trying to locate Erica and Boyd and he'd nearly gotten killed in the process. He felt he was entitled to a little bit of a freak out over the news.

Isaac was staring at the ground, his voice a bit timid as he said, "Derek wouldn't let me, said it was his problem to deal with. I'm part of his pack, you're not. I'm sorry, Scott, really."

Scott let out a frustrated sigh, glancing at the trees around them before looking back at Isaac to see that Isaac was watching him intently, a nervous look in his eyes and Scott suddenly realized that Isaac was scared he was mad at him, "Its not your fault, Isaac. I'm sorry. I … I just can't believe that this is going on and that I wasn't told about it. And you nearly got killed by those Alphas! Am I just supposed to act like nothing happened when my boyfriend nearly died?"

Isaac grinned a little, although Scott could tell he wasn't completely at ease, "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to people worrying over me. No one's really done that before. With Derek its just, don't get hurt, do your best. This is the most concerned I've seen anyone over me."

That brought Scott to a halt and he gaped a little before rushing forward to wrap his arms around Isaac in a fierce embrace and his words were low and urgent, "Don't you ever think I'm not going to worry over you, Isaac. You're my boyfriend and I love you. It doesn't matter that we're both werewolves. Think how you would feel if this had happened to me. That's how I feel right now."

Isaac was silent for a moment and Scott figured he was thinking over what had just been said. But when he felt Isaac's nose against his neck and heard him inhale a long breath through his nose, Scott knew Isaac was taking in his scent as if he wanted to memorize it and never forget. Maybe what he'd said was sinking in. He forgot sometimes, because Isaac didn't seem to have that many issues because of his dad's abuse, that things he took for granted might not really register for Isaac unless they were spelled out for him.

Scott took the opportunity to focus on Isaac's scent as well because Isaac had nearly been killed within the past twenty-four hours so every little reminder of his boyfriend's continued survival was a comfort. It certainly calmed him down a bit. But he still really wanted to give Derek a piece of his mind for keeping him in the dark about the Alpha pack and making Isaac go off, _alone_, to search for Erica and Boyd with unfriendly Alphas to worry about. Outnumbered and outclassed because Isaac, however strong and brave he may be, was still just a Beta.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there like that when he heard Stiles' voice, "Hey, Scott, if you two are done with your post-freak out moment, shouldn't we, you know, talk about this whole Alpha pack thing?"

Scott let out a heavy sigh, not wanting to pull away from Isaac, but Isaac did it for him as Scott said, "Yeah, you're right. I ran into one of them at the hospital."

Isaac looked surprised by that, "You did?"

He nodded, "Yeah, when I came to see you. He was trying to take you somewhere and you were still unconscious, but Derek and I were able to stop him. Well, Derek did more than me."

Isaac was looking at him funny and slowly asked, "Just one? And it was a guy?"

Whatever he'd been expecting from Isaac, it wasn't that, but it was Stiles who asked, "What were you expecting?"

Isaac sighed, "Not that. But thanks for coming for me, Scott."

Scott nodded quickly, "Of course I came for you. I'll always come for you. But could you tell me what happened to land you in the hospital?"

That got a shaky nod from Isaac, "Yeah. I was … I think I was looking for Erica and Boyd and then … then there was that girl and she's telling me to hold on and she's driving us away on a motorcycle. But there were Alphas chasing us and we crashed somewhere and she shot them. Then I woke up in the hospital."

Scott was a bit confused by that. He understood the part about the Alphas, that made sense, and this mysterious girl that had shown up had apparently been trying to save Isaac. He was really grateful for that. But what did she shoot the Alphas with to drive them off? And why hadn't Isaac mentioned where he'd gone to get attacked by the Alpha pack? But he didn't want to press Isaac too hard because werewolf or not he had just gotten out of the hospital after nearly getting killed.

Stiles, on the other hand, wasn't so eager to make allowances for Isaac's suffering, "That's it? You don't have anything more to say? Derek told us about the Alpha pack so its not like you have to maintain some vow of silence."

Isaac stuck his hands in his pockets and looked away from the both of them, "That's it."

Scott frowned, worried now because Isaac looked like he wasn't even sure of it himself and he'd experienced it, but it was Stiles who spoke, continuing to push for answers, "That can't be it. Look, you were there when Derek-"

"Stiles! Let Isaac speak."

The curly-haired werewolf looked at Scott thankfully and let out a heavy sigh, "I know that isn't everything, but … I can't remember the rest. The girl said the Alphas took those memories away."

Scott gaped, shocked to hear that that was even possible. It was made even worse by the fact that it had been done to his boyfriend, who went through so much crap in his life already, and that whatever memories he had lost were important. Quite possibly vital to finding Erica and Boyd. Knowing Isaac, Scott knew his boyfriend would be frustrated by his inability to remember and would be eager to help however he could.

Then there was the business with this mysterious girl. Scott was really grateful that she'd saved Isaac, but he wished he knew more about her. Why did she save Isaac? Did she have anything to do with the Alpha pack? Even knowing her name would've been nice.

But instead of putting any of his many, many questions into words and demanding answers from Isaac, who didn't have any more answers to give, Scott put a hand on Isaac's shoulder and spoke with all the confidence he could muster, "Don't worry about it. We'll help you remember. And we'll find Erica and Boyd and this girl, too."

He thought that was the right thing to say because Isaac smiled a little and nodded, gaining confidence from Scott's words. Stiles just opened and closed his mouth a few times, obviously trying to think of something to say to express his feelings, decidedly negative ones, but either couldn't think of them or just didn't actually say them. Scott was leaning toward the former rather than the latter. Whenever a thought popped into his friend's head, it came right out his mouth a few seconds later. Sometimes he was articulate and eloquent, but just as often he wasn't.

Since he seemed to have ended that conversation, however unintentionally, he tried to gently push Stiles away so that he could have some alone time with Isaac. While they both knew how they felt about each other, Isaac's near death gave Scott an almost overwhelming urge to stay close to Isaac. Thankfully, Stiles got the message pretty quickly and headed off. That left Scott alone with Isaac, which made the both of them happy, and before long they were back at Scott's house, relaxing after a very stressful day.


	11. Chapter 11: Ice Bath

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So this is right after Isaac gets out of the ice bath in the second episode of season 3. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

While Stiles and Derek and Dr. Deaton talked about the bank, Scott went over to check on Isaac because, werewolf healing aside, he had nearly frozen to death to remember what he'd seen. As he got closer, he could see that Isaac was still shivering a bit, despite the blankets that Dr. Deaton had provided. Plus, seeing how afraid Isaac's memories had made him and with what had been said, Scott wanted to make sure Isaac was alright in more than just a physical sense. Isaac was sitting in a chair with his legs drawn in close, several blankets wrapped around him.

Isaac smiled a little as Scott walked over and spoke before he had a chance to, "I'll be okay, Scott, really."

He smiled as well, happy to see that Isaac was well enough to give reassurances, "Good, that's good. You know I just had to double-check. One of the responsibilities of the boyfriend."

Isaac chuckled at that, a genuinely happy smile on his lips, "Thanks. I'm still not used to … you know, having people worrying over me. Especially since Erica's dead and Boyd's trapped."

His voice had gotten sad really quickly, so Scott sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Yeah, but they're not here right now. You are. And what you were remembering scared you. So, yeah, I'm going to worry and ask if you're alright."

Isaac ducked his head, looking away from Scott, but Scott knew it was only because he wasn't sure how to react and after a few seconds softly said, "Thank you, Scott." He was silent for a few more seconds before asking, "Is there anything else that I should know about? You know, any other bombshells that I may have dropped?"

Scott shook his head, "Nothing else. Except, when you started freaking out, you only calmed down after you grabbed my wrist."

Isaac's head shot up and he stared at Scott in shock, "Really? I did that?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Good thing too, because Derek kept pushing you to remember more even when Dr. Deaton wanted to stop. I don't even want to think about what might have happened if you hadn't remembered."

Isaac sighed and pulled the blankets tighter around him, "Well at least we got what we wanted out of it. I'm not sure which one was worse, nearly freezing to death in an ice bath or worrying that Peter will accidentally kill or paralyze me. I don't think he's ever done that before he did it with me."

Scott couldn't stop a shudder from going through him at those thoughts. He'd never liked Peter and he liked him even less now. Was Peter just using this crisis with Erica and Boyd to experiment with a werewolf's supernatural abilities? That thought made him want to break Peter's jaw, or give him a stern talking to, if that would make any difference. Which it probably wouldn't, knowing Peter. There was no denying that he would feel a certain satisfaction in doing, though.

He also couldn't deny the admiration he felt for Isaac at going through such dangerous things to help others, especially when they hadn't been good friends with Isaac. He just wished that Isaac didn't have to suffer so much, especially when Isaac had a good soul even after what his dad had done to him. Even after everything that he'd gone through since becoming a werewolf.

Isaac must have noticed his shudder because he turned his head to look right into Scott's eyes and put his hand over the one Scott had put on his shoulder, "Hey, I'm alright, really. Obviously Peter didn't mess me up and I didn't freeze in the ice bath."

He let out a sigh and pulled Isaac close for a hug, not liking how cold Isaac still felt, "Yeah, you are. Its just … I don't know what's worse, knowing that you did something that dangerous or having to watch it happen and not do anything to help you. I hope we don't have to do that again."

Isaac nodded against Scott's shoulder, "Definitely."

They sat like that for a few more moments before Dr. Deaton came over and gently said, "Isaac, you're going to need to rest for awhile to let your body warm up again and heal. Werewolf or no, your body won't bounce back from that over the course of a few minutes. Scott, I believe Stiles would appreciate your help in figuring out how to get into the vault of the bank."

Scott let out a sigh as he pulled away from Isaac and grinned a little, "I guess its my turn to do something now."

Isaac grinned and stood, "Good, I'm getting tired of doing all the work. But that doesn't mean I won't be there to help when we go after Boyd and that girl he's with."

Dr. Deaton shook his head apologetically, "I'm sorry, Isaac, but you won't be helping with the rescue. Your body has gone through so much trauma with the ice bath and Peter's attempt to unlock your memories that you won't be at full strength until after the full moon. Add into that the fact that this is a pack of Alphas. You going into the bank would not be a … particularly wise move."

Isaac opened his mouth to protest, but Scott grabbed his hand before he could say anything, "He's right, Isaac. You were nearly killed by the Alpha pack once already. I don't want them to have it easy the second time."

He could tell Isaac wasn't happy about being stuck to the sidelines, but after looking from Scott to Dr. Deaton and back he let out a sigh and pulled Scott in for a hug, "Alright, you win. I'll get some rest. But if you do end up doing something before I'm up to full speed again, please be careful. Me getting hurt isn't nearly as bad as you getting hurt."

He gave a quick nod against Isaac's shoulder, "I will. Now go, rest, take it easy, doctor's orders. Plus, the sooner you get some rest, the sooner you'll be able to help out again."

Scott pulled back, but Isaac didn't let go and when he looked up he saw a mischievous grin on Isaac's lips. Then Isaac leaned down and gave him a kiss, to which he happily responded. Scott was a little embarrassed to be making out in front of his boss, but usually it was him who made the advances so he was happy to go along with it when Isaac was the one who got things started. The taller werewolf was usually a bit shy when it came to bringing up sex or public displays of his feelings. Isaac didn't stop kissing until he was out of breath and he was panting slightly when he pulled back.

Thankfully, when Scott glanced over at Dr. Deaton, the man had a small smile on his lips, but Stiles had come into the room sometime during the kiss and he spoke before anyone else had a chance, "Hey, Scott, if you're done having your little moment, we still need to figure out how to, you know, break into a bank vault and save two people."

Isaac looked at Stiles and growled at him, causing him to back up a step warily, but before Scott could get worried Isaac looked back at him and quietly spoke as he struggled to keep from grinning, "He's right, though. Go find Boyd and that other werewolf. I'll get some rest so I'll be able to help next time."

Scott smiled and gave him a quick kiss, nothing more than a peck on the lips really, before slipping out of Isaac's arms and turning to Stiles, "Right, let's go."


	12. Chapter 12: Scars

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So this chapter takes places right after the end of episode 3 of season 3. The show doesn't make the timeline very clear as to when episode 3 ends and episode 4 begins or even what days of the week this stuff takes place. So I'll assume episode 4 takes place at least one full day later. Which gives me some room to maneuver with my writing.

As always, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Isaac sat down heavily, tired from chasing Cora and Boyd all night and not looking forward to going back to school in a few short hours. He was impressed that Derek had survived without killing his sister or Boyd, but he didn't expect Boyd to stick around. He'd run off with Erica before and now that there wasn't anyone to keep him around, Isaac expected him to leave as soon as he woke up.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at his hands as he let out a sigh. Now that he had a few minutes to actually think, he found that he didn't want to. Erica kept popping up in his head. It was terrible that she was dead, but beyond feeling a little sorry for her he didn't feel much. When Derek had given her the bite, he'd thought that maybe he'd have a kindred spirit in the pack, someone who knew what it was like to suffer and wanted to escape that. Maybe they'd talk and be friends instead of just pack members, it wasn't like he'd had a lot of friends before.

But she'd left as soon as things got rough. Boyd had joined the pack and she was all over him. At first he didn't mind it, he figured that he shouldn't get upset over someone else's happiness. But then when things went from bad to worse and there was no sign of it getting any better, she just ran off. Things got bad so she ran instead of staying to deal with the problem. He came back, even when he hadn't really had anybody to come back for. He hadn't been going out with Scott at the time and Derek hadn't done so well against Gerard.

Not so much of a kindred spirit then. Erica hadn't looked back after leaving. He had. Even if it had almost killed him. But he knew he would've hated himself for running away and leaving everyone to their fate when he had the power to help. Wasn't it part of why Derek had gone recruiting? To form a pack, to help people?

He sighed again and tried to let that train of thought go. His mood didn't improve, however, because he didn't expect that life with Derek was going to get any better with Cora around. He'd tried asking about her, get a little information about where she'd been, why Derek had never mentioned her. That sort of thing. But Derek had just looked at him in a way that meant he should just keep his mouth shut. It wasn't like he was interested in her, he was just curious. But apparently long lost little sister plus werewolf meant a very strong overprotective streak.

He wasn't sure when Scott came back down the stairs after dropping Cora in his room, there weren't that many and he didn't really care since he wasn't going to get much sleep soon anyway, but when he looked up he saw Scott standing in front of him with a slightly concerned expression on his face, "What? Is something wrong?"

Scott shook his head, "No, just … are you alright? I thought Dr. Deaton didn't want you helping out until after the full moon."

Isaac leaned back in his chair and would've grinned, in the hope of reassuring Scott, but he yawned first then grinned a little and said, "Just tired. Its been a long night."

Scott let out a sigh and glanced at his phone, "Well, I think its about to get a little longer. Stiles wants to talk to me about the kid that got murdered. You should get some sleep before school starts."

Despite how tired he felt from staying up all night and chasing after Cora and Boyd, he shook his head, "No, I've spent more than enough time resting. I'm coming with you. And school starts in a couple hours, how much rest am I really going to get?"

Scott grinned and shook his head, but offered his hand for Isaac to take and helped pull him out of the chair, "You won't make it easy for me to take care of you at all, will you?"

Isaac grinned lopsidedly and gave him a quick kiss, "I let you take care of me after the ice bath. Instead of helping you out in the bank vault I was back here keeping warm and getting some sleep. So this time I'll be following you and we'll both find out what Stiles wants to tell you."

Scott's brown eyes stared into his blue ones for a long moment before he nodded, "Alright, let's go."

They headed outside to wait for Stiles to show up with his jeep since Derek wasn't about to help them with that. As they did, Isaac knew that Scott wasn't happy that he was pushing himself when he was tired, but he hated just sitting around doing nothing when he could be helping. All his life he hadn't been able to do anything because of his dad. He'd been too afraid, too hurt, too alone, too hopeless. Now that he was capable of helping, the idea of not helping was one that really bothered him.

When Stiles showed up he didn't say anything about Isaac accompanying him and Scott, which Isaac was grateful for. He didn't think that Stiles had a problem with him going out with Scott, it felt more like Stiles wasn't entirely sure as to how much he could trust Isaac. At first there was a bit of an awkward silence in the jeep, until it was inevitably broken by Stiles, naturally. He could never keep his mouth shut for very long.

"How come you don't have any scars?"

That was directed at Isaac because he could see Stiles looking at him through the rear-view mirror. It was really abrupt and he wasn't sure how to respond to the question. His thoughts were further blocked by what Stiles had left unspoken. His dad, the beatings, the freezer chest, and so on. He wasn't sure if it was kinder of Stiles to have avoided actually saying it out loud or not.

Scott was sitting in the passenger seat next to Stiles and immediately hissed, "Stiles!" Then he turned to look at Isaac apologetically, "You don't have to answer that."

Isaac was thankful for Scott jumping to his defense, but apparently Stiles didn't want to drop the subject until he had an answer, "Why not? I'm not asking him to tell us all about what a horrible person his dad was, I just thought that, you know, he would've had a few scars from it all. But at Deaton's he took his shirt off and there wasn't a mark on him."

Isaac pushed the memories away, all those things his dad had done to him that he wished he could just forget, albeit with some difficulty. Stiles wasn't asking about that, about what he'd been through. Just why his body didn't look like it had been through that and he couldn't blame Stiles for that. He'd been rather surprised to see that himself, so he understood the confusion. He also knew that Scott was curious about seeing smooth unmarred skin instead of scars, but was too polite to ask.

So he took a deep breath to calm himself, both because he was really tired now that the adrenaline of hunting Boyd and Cora was no longer keeping him going and because he didn't want to get stuck thinking about his dad, and slowly said, "Its alright. I, uh, I used to have some scars. But they disappeared right after I became a werewolf."

Despite having gotten his answer, Stiles still wasn't satisfied, "That's it? Your scars disappeared because you became a werewolf? Nothing more?"

He shrugged uneasily, "Its not like I asked Derek about it. I was just kind of glad they disappeared. I don't need any more reminders of my past."

That seemed to satisfy Stiles, which Isaac was grateful for because there was a limit as to how much he would talk about concerning his life prior to becoming a werewolf. He hated even thinking about it. But Scott changed the subject as soon as they got closer to their destination, which apparently was the hospital.

Scott turned toward him and spoke cautiously, as if he were afraid that he would upset him, "Isaac, could you stay here while Stiles shows me whatever it is he called about? Please? I'm not sure if you going back into the hospital is going to cause trouble or not, but I'd really like to avoid anything happening if I can."

He knew what Scott meant without needing him to spell it out. He'd come into that hospital less than a week ago, half dead, and anyone who had seen his wounds would find it very strange to see him walking about without a scratch on him. He didn't think any of the doctors or nurses would cause any problems, but then again Scott was right. They'd dealt with enough already over the past few days and putting another problem on their plates by waltzing into a hospital he'd been carried into so recently could make him, and Scott and Stiles by extension, the center of some very unwanted attention.

So he nodded and said, "Just tell me about it later. I guess I'll get some sleep before school starts."

Scott let out a relieved sigh, clearly he'd been expecting more resistance from Isaac but he was really tired by this point and the only reason he didn't show it was because he didn't want Scott worrying over him too much, "Thanks. We'll be right back."

By the time Scott and Stiles had reached the door to the hospital, Isaac was already fast asleep.


	13. Chapter 13: Claustrophobia

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So this one's right after the scene where Isaac flips out after being locked in the janitor's closet. Also, I've noticed a lot of fics popping up where people write about Isaac getting kicked out by Derek, but nothing about the janitor closet scene. I will get to the whole issue with Isaac getting kicked out of Derek's loft, that'll be (99% probability) the next chapter I post.

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

After Scott had finished outlining his plan to piss off the Alpha twins, he stood there awkwardly for a moment and Isaac would've laughed as he realized why. Would've laughed, if he wasn't trying so hard to tamp down his own emotions. Now that he was out of that closet the heart-stopping fear that he'd felt was fading rapidly, but it left him feeling a little shaky. Then there was the mortification of having lost control and almost killing Allison. Its not like they were friends, but he'd never forgive himself if he killed someone because he couldn't control his personal demons.

Those emotions led to a red hot anger. Those Alpha twins wouldn't play fair. Instead of a head on fight, which was something he was itching for now, they try to get him to kill Allison. Instead of facing him, during cross country they ambushed him. If these Alphas were so frightening as Derek and Peter would have him believe, why wouldn't they fight? Two Alphas against a single Beta, they shouldn't be avoiding him.

But he pushed those thoughts and feelings away for now because Scott clearly wasn't sure what to do at the moment. He could tell Scott wanted to ask him if he was okay, like really okay, but Allison didn't know about them yet and he knew Scott well enough to know that he didn't want to hurt his former girlfriend. So he decided it would be better if he spoke up now, since Scott didn't look like he knew what to say or do without spilling the beans to Allison.

"I'll catch up in a minute."

It was probably the slight tremor that was still in his voice that got Allison to nod and start heading for the parking lot. He didn't like it, but he had to admit, if only to himself, that he wasn't completely steady yet. He'd thought he was moving on from what his dad had done to him, getting over all the crap that he'd been put through before Derek gave him the bite, but apparently it wasn't so easy. As soon as that door had closed and he'd realized he couldn't get it open again … he let out a shaky breath and shied away from that thought. He didn't want to go there again.

Scott knelt down in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder, the concern blatant but comforting, "Are you okay, Isaac? You're in control? I've never seen someone lose control like that without a full moon."

He nodded and leaned his head back against the wall, letting his body settle after the overabundance of fear and adrenaline had overwhelmed him, "Yeah, I'm in control again. I'm sorry, its just-"

"Isaac, its okay. You don't have to apologize. I'm not sure I would've done any better in your place."

That got a small smile to appear on Isaac's lips because Scott never seemed to judge him by his past. He just did his best to help Isaac move forward with his life and deal with whatever bumps in the road that came up when they came up. One of the reasons why he hated the thought of people knowing about what his dad had done to him was that they would start looking at him as if the abuse was all that he was. He wasn't and Scott saw that, which he was always grateful for.

But there was a look in Scott's eyes that had him concerned because Scott seemed to have a pretty good track record of what to be concerned over, "What is it? Something's bothering you."

Scott sighed and stood back up, helping Isaac to his feet before saying, "Its just … how did they know?" At Isaac's confused look, he quickly said, "Your claustrophobia. How would they know about that to use it against you? I mean, we've just run into them and its not like we can't all tell who's who and we're not going around spilling our darkest secrets."

Isaac nodded in agreement. Now that he thought about it, he ran into the same problem as Scott. They shouldn't have been able to know that he didn't like small spaces. But they did. Maybe when his memories had been stolen/suppressed they had dug around for some insider knowledge as to the goings-on of Beacon Hills, but he was under the impression that that would take some time and effort. Peter had struggled quite a bit just getting what little he'd gotten that one time.

He shrugged, knowing that it was something to think about, "We'll figure it out later. We've got other things to worry about right now."

Scott nodded, a grin growing on his lips as they headed out toward the parking lot where Allison was no doubt already waiting for them. After what had just happened and that little trick of theirs during cross country, Isaac was eager to get back at them. Then there was the matter of that girl that had saved him, but that was for another time.


	14. Chapter 14: Storms

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So I've a lot of fics about the end of episode 4 where Isaac gets kicked out and they all seem to go way too quickly from Isaac's crisis of being kicked out by Derek to new relationship with Scott and/or sexy time. Or they have Isaac completely break down crying. All of which I feel isn't in line with Isaac's character. So hopefully this chapter is more in line with the characters. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

It didn't make any sense. No matter how much he thought about or how he turned it about in his head, he couldn't find any way to make sense out of it. One day everything was fine, not a problem that he could see, and the next he was being kicked out like a piece of trash. It hadn't mattered to Derek that it was pouring outside, nor did it seem to matter that he didn't have anywhere to go. His family had never been very big and with his dad's death there wasn't a single Lahey in Beacon Hills except for him. Not that he would've gone back to live with his dad, but the point remained.

He barely noticed the pouring rain and what part of his brain did notice didn't bother to acknowledge it. It didn't matter. What mattered was that he, after remaining with Derek instead of running away like Erica and Boyd and after helping out however he could, had been thrown out like he was a burden. As if instead of being a member of a pack, he had been just some charity case that Derek had gotten tired of.

He wasn't even sure if he was still a member of the pack anymore. Had Derek just thrown him out of the loft or kicked him out of the pack as well? Was he still a Beta or was he now an Omega? And what about the Alpha pack? How was Derek supposed to fight them if he kept his own pack small? Peter wasn't reliable and Boyd wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to rejoin the pack, which just left Cora and himself.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed that train of thought away, clearly Derek didn't want him around anymore. But while part of him was angry enough that he wouldn't mind seeing Derek fail, another part was still too concerned about what the Alpha pack would do to just wholly accept the idea of leaving Derek to his own mess. It was so confusing. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong, but Derek wouldn't give him a straight answer.

But it felt like he had. Like somehow he had crossed some line without knowing it. Only one other person had ever thrown things at him like that and, while he was glad it hadn't turned into a beating or being locked up in a freezer, at least his dad had given some kind of reason, shitty as that reason might have been. A disappointing grade or some problem at school or failing to score a goal during a lacrosse game, something. But with Derek there wasn't any reason, he'd just yelled at him to get out and thrown a glass at his head.

It hurt, the fact that Derek had thrown a glass at him, not the glass itself. It felt like a betrayal. Derek had given him the bite, made him stronger so that he could handle the beatings and maybe even stand up to his dad. He'd helped him escape the endlessly crappy life that he'd had and start a new one, which while quite painful at times was infinitely better than what he'd had with his dad.

Part of him felt like crying, like he should just stop trying to hold himself together and give in to the feelings of confusion and betrayal and fear and anger at the unfairness of it all. But he wouldn't. He would stay strong and get through this, just like he'd gotten through the rest of his life up to this point. That didn't mean it would be pretty, very little in his life was, but he would endure. Even though part of him wanted to just give up and stop trying, just sit down and wallow in it all, he'd keep going. One day at a time. One problem at a time.

Which brought some awareness back to his surroundings. He was standing in the pouring rain in the middle of the night and he wasn't sure where he was. His feet had just sort of brought him to wherever it was he now found himself. He needed a place to stay, which a pissed off part of his mind reminded him shouldn't have been a problem he needed to solve. But he didn't know where to go and he knew from firsthand experience that the cold was still something to worry about, despite being a werewolf.

He struggled to think of where he could go, where there might be somebody willing to take him in, even if it was just for one night. His mind kept going back to that conversation that had ended with him being kicked out. How he couldn't believe Derek was being serious and how part of him just couldn't believe it was happening until Derek had thrown that glass at his head. It was a struggle just to focus on what he was doing.

But slowly he was able to push through all the distracting thoughts and emotions and realize there was one place where he could go, where he might be able to stay.

* * *

It took a moment for Scott's brain to start working again because the second that Isaac had walked in he had known that something was wrong. Isaac usually called or sent a text before he dropped by, not to mention the fact that he was soaked. Then Isaac had asked for a favor, something he'd never done before. Not with Scott, at least, and never like that.

But as soon as he got over the shock of Isaac's arrival, he nodded, "Yeah, of course. What is it?"

Isaac sniffled and Scott wasn't sure if it was due to him being soaked from the rain or if he was holding back tears because now that he looked at his boyfriend he could see that Isaac would've looked like crap without having been soaked from the storm, "Could I … could I stay the night? I know its kind of sudden, but I, uh, I don't have anywhere else to stay."

From the look in his eyes and the fact that he didn't seem to care that he was soaking wet, Scott didn't doubt Isaac for a second and he gaped, "Of course you can stay, Isaac. You can stay as long as you want. But why would Derek kick you out?"

Isaac shrugged and just continued to stand there, making Scott wonder how much Isaac had actually heard him say, "I'm … I don't know. He, uh, he wouldn't really say."

Isaac sniffled again and Scott got up from his chair to wrap his arms around his boyfriend. It didn't matter that Isaac was dripping water all over the carpet or that his own clothes were going to be all wet now, too, because as Isaac stood there he'd been able to see that Isaac actually was fighting back tears. He didn't know what had happened between Isaac and Derek, but it had obviously been really bad if it brought Isaac to tears, even unshed ones. He'd never seen Isaac cry, not even after a particularly bad nightmare, and he didn't want to find out what it looked like.

Isaac's arms came up around him and held tight as he let out another sniffle, which prompted Scott to say, "It'll be okay. I'm right here and you can stay as long as you like."

Isaac nodded against his shoulder and he could tell there was a bit of a dichotomy to Isaac's actions. The taller werewolf was struggling not to cry, Scott had seen that with the tears in Isaac's eyes, but at the same time Isaac wasn't pulling away from the comfort and reassurance that Scott was more than willing to give. He had no idea what had caused Derek to kick Isaac out, but it was probably something stupid and ridiculous like Derek's justification for keeping him in the dark had been.

After a few minutes had passed like that, during which Scott patiently gave Isaac the time he needed, Isaac pulled back a little and suddenly seemed to realize that he'd gotten Scott and the carpet wet, "Sorry, maybe I should-"

"No, its alright, really. There are towels in the bathroom. Um," and he looked at the duffel bag that Isaac had brought with him, which was just as wet as Isaac, "do you have anything to wear that's still dry?"

Isaac followed his gaze to the duffel bag and sighed, "Probably not."

Reluctantly, because he knew Isaac appreciated it and so did he, he slipped out from Isaac's arms and pulled a pair of shorts out of his dresser, "Here. You probably don't want to wear any of my shirts since they'd be too small for you, or at least a little tight. Go dry off and I'll check to see if anything you've got is still dry. Even if it isn't, I'll make sure its all ready for you in the morning."

Isaac nodded, taking the shorts and heading off to the bathroom. Once the door was shut, Scott began rifling through Isaac's duffel bag, but all the clothes were either soaked or damp, just as he'd expected. He laid out everything that wasn't clothing, which wasn't much, and took the entire bag to the laundry room and started sorting out the clothes, not wanting to ruin any of the few possessions that Isaac still had. He had just put the first load into the washing machine, because he had no idea if Isaac's clothes were clean or not, when he heard the bathroom door open and hurried over to make sure Isaac was okay.

His eyes were still a little red, but the tears were gone and he softly said, "Scott, thank you."

As much as he would've loved to just admire the view that was Isaac without a shirt on, he knew now wasn't the time, even though he felt no shame at all in pulling Isaac in for a kiss, "Don't mention it. You'll always have a place here, I promise."

A small relieved smile appeared on Isaac's lips and then his arms were around Scott, holding him tight, and Scott could tell that this time the hug wasn't about needing support. It was about gratitude and love. He brought his arms around Isaac, one hand finding its way up to his curly hair, glad that Isaac was feeling a little better.

After a long moment enjoying the feel of having Isaac in his arms, he gently said, "You want to get some rest? You'll probably feel better in the morning."

Isaac nodded slowly before pulling back and Scott could see the fatigue in his blue eyes, emotional and physical, as he said, "Thank you, Scott, really. Are you …?"

Scott knew where Isaac was going with that and shook his head apologetically, "Sorry, but I've got some homework to do. I'm not going to fail any classes this year."

That got a lopsided grin from Isaac as he headed back into Scott's room. He watched as Isaac got in bed and got comfortable before going back to his desk and focusing on his unfinished homework while keeping an ear open for Isaac. It only took a minute before Isaac fell asleep and he turned to see Isaac laying on his side, facing the wall. He stared for a moment, letting out a sigh at how unfair Isaac's life was. It was just one thing after another for Isaac. He wished he could do something for Isaac, something more than giving him a place to stay.

But for now that was all he could do. It seemed like it was enough for Isaac, at least for now. That didn't mean it felt like enough. He wanted to find out exactly what had happened with Derek, what he'd been thinking when he kicked Isaac out. Except Scott knew that Derek wasn't particularly talkative when it came to anyone who wasn't pack or family and he was neither. He sent a text to Stiles, hoping that his best friend would have some idea as to what was going on with Derek. It was a long shot though, so he didn't really expect anything.

He'd just finished his homework when he heard his mom get home and hurried down to talk to her before she accidentally woke Isaac and so that she didn't unexpectedly bump into Isaac in the morning. Thankfully, once he explained why Isaac was there and why he'd told Isaac he could stay, she was a little flustered at the abruptness of it all, but agreed to let Isaac stay as long as necessary. Which was a huge relief for Scott because he would've felt absolutely horrible if he'd had to tell Isaac that he couldn't stay after all.

It was past midnight by the time Scott was finally able to go to bed, having finished his homework and made sure that Isaac's clothes were clean and dry. While the shorts he'd let Isaac wear worked in a pinch, he didn't think forcing Isaac into his clothes would be a good idea. By that time Isaac had turned to face the room instead of the wall. Scott slipped into bed and pressed up against Isaac, his back to Isaac's chest, a smile growing on his lips when he felt Isaac's arms come around him and hold tight. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, leaving the worries of the world behind, if only for a little while.


	15. Chapter 15: Shock

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So, after seeing episode 5 and the promo for episode 6, I'm more stuck on the promo because of that little bit with Isaac getting locked in a refrigerator looking thing. But a few things I noticed during the episode. First, Scott seems to be the only one who can pull Isaac back to himself after losing control. Its happened twice now, like Scott is somehow Isaac's alpha now. Which leads me to the second thing. I'm wondering if there is a way for Scott to become an alpha without killing one. I feel like if there is, Scott would find it because with just what has been seen on the show its like Isaac is a beta to Scott. Oh, third thing, I felt it was weird that Isaac wasn't there for the pre-battle pack meeting even though Scott and Boyd were there.

Anyway, this chapter takes place right after the big pack battle and before the bus ride. I figure there is some time between the two. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

The ride back to Scott's house was silent save for the motor of Scott's bike and for once Isaac had the distinct feeling that out of the two of them it was Scott who was dealing with the most crap. He wasn't happy about Derek's death himself, but the shock had been blindingly obvious on Scott's face and he didn't think Scott was taking it well. Not with his ever present desire to avoid anyone dieing. It was a noble thing to strive for and Isaac admired that about Scott, but he understood that killing their enemies might actually be the easier way to stop thing from getting worse.

They were both still hurt from the battle with the Alpha pack and Isaac was glad that he had pushed Scott to let him come along. He hadn't known exactly what Scott had been up to when he'd tried leaving without him, but he'd known that it was something important by the way Scott's heart was beating. Scott had been nervous, really nervous, which meant he was about to do something dangerous and Isaac wasn't about to let him run headlong into something he was scared of, not by himself at least.

There was also the fact that Scott had lied to him, which he really wasn't good at. It had been so easy to just play along with it like he had no idea that Scott was trying to leave him behind while he did something dangerous. Not that he held it against Scott, he might've done the same thing in Scott's place. He also had a much better understanding as to why Scott was so scared of the Alpha pack. It would've been much worse if Deucalion hadn't been holding his pack back from actually killing anyone … or if Deucalion had joined the fight himself because he had to be some major level badass to lead a pack of Alphas despite being blind.

When they got back home, and Isaac honestly wasn't sure the McCall house would remain a home for him, he began to worry about Scott because he could see a far off look in his eyes and he knew where Scott's mind was at, "Scott, its over. Stop thinking about it."

Scott turned to face him, clearly unsure of how to take that remark, "Stop thinking about it? How am I supposed to stop thinking about Derek's death?"

He closed the bedroom door and slouched against it, letting out a long breath, "Scott … I, uh, I don't know what to say. I'm not the person to do this. At least one of the Alphas is dead, too?"

Scott raised a brow and there seemed to be a bit of anger in his eyes and voice as he said, clearly Isaac had said the wrong thing, "That's not helping. I didn't want _anyone_ to die, Isaac."

He sighed and scratched at the back of his head, trying to think of some way to get Scott out of that mental downward spiral he was in, "Sorry. I've never really, uh, done this kind of thing before. But you shouldn't dwell on it, it'll only make things seem worse and it'll be a lot harder for you to keep going. Trust me."

Scott opened his mouth to respond, but didn't actually say anything for a long, uncomfortable moment during which Isaac wondered if he'd actually said something helpful this time. Comforting people wasn't exactly his strong suit, not with his complete lack of friends until he became a werewolf. He thought he was getting a handle on Scott, but his confidence in helping people get over things wasn't very high. Usually it was Scott helping him get over something; a nightmare, getting locked in the janitor's closet at school, getting kicked out by Derek.

Then Scott got a look in his eyes, the one that he got whenever the subject of Isaac's family and past came up, and there was still a hint of anger in his voice, but this time Isaac knew it wasn't directed at him, "Did it help? Not thinking about it?"

He shrugged uneasily and looked down at the floor, "A little. It was hell just getting through each day, but I tried not to think about it when he wasn't around. I think it would've been a lot worse if I had thought about it all the time, always afraid of the next beating, the next punishment. Maybe its not the best way to cope with it, but that's what I did."

He wasn't sure what Scott's reaction was since he wasn't looking at him. But he didn't want to see pity and this was something he had never told anyone. Never would have, except Scott needed some kind of help coping with Derek's death and Isaac was the only one around. If it was anyone else, he probably would've just told them to tough it out or some such. He'd gone through worse than the death of his former Alpha and while it was a shock to him as well, it was clear that Scott was much more affected than he was.

He didn't look back up until he felt Scott's hand on his shoulder and saw the sadness still there in Scott's eyes, but also a bit of gratitude, "Thanks, Isaac. I know you're trying to help."

He nodded, wishing that he knew what to say or do to help Scott get out of the funk that he seemed to be settling into, and as Scott turned away he said, "Thanks."

That got Scott to stop and face him again and Isaac took pleasure in seeing the absolute befuddlement on Scott's face, knowing that for that second he had driven away the thoughts of Derek's death, "For what?"

"For trying to protect me. You know, by trying to go off and speak to Deucalion on your own."

That got a small smile and a snort from Scott, "You make it kind of hard for me to keep you safe if you insist on risking your neck and not listening to me."

Now Isaac was grinning, "Hey, if you're risking your neck then so am I. There aren't that many things that scare me anymore. Besides, I was listening. How else was I supposed to know how nervous you were before you tried to sneak out?"

Scott just shook his head, his smile growing a little, "You were supposed to listen to what I was saying, Isaac. But I don't want to argue. We should get some rest, hopefully our wounds will heal overnight. Plus we have that track meet to go to tomorrow."

He was tempted to make some kind of remark as to his feelings about Mexican food, but they were both still hurting from the battle and he didn't think Scott was really in the mood for jokes at the moment. So after setting the alarm clock and getting their stuff ready for the long trip tomorrow, they got into bed. Carefully, because neither wanted to aggravate the wounds of the other.


	16. Chapter 16: Whispering

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So everyone seems to think that Isaac totally lost it when he attacked Ethan at the end of the latest episode, but I've got a different theory. Also, when Derek kicked Isaac out of the loft I thought he was doing it to protect Isaac in case Deucalion and his pack invaded the loft again and forced Derek to kill one of his Betas. But then when Derek decided to try to take down Deucalion he brought everyone over to his loft to discuss strategy, except for Isaac, which got me confused. If he wanted to maximize his chances, wouldn't he try including every werewolf possible? And he hasn't exactly struck me as the smartest guy around, so I don't really buy it that he would be counting on Isaac to follow Scott to the battle.

Anyway, everyone is back on the bus for this chapter. Scott and Isaac are whispering very quietly so Ethan won't overhear. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

After some time spent sitting with Allison, Scott carefully got up and made his way to Isaac's seat. Coach had basically ordered everyone to leave Isaac alone in case he went after someone else. Isaac hadn't helped his case, offering no explanation as to why he'd attacked Ethan, which had Scott concerned. He'd thought that Isaac was more in control than Boyd, but apparently not.

But when he sat down next to Isaac, he didn't see rage or a struggle to maintain control, but concern and anxiety as Isaac whispered, "Are you alright?"

Scott gaped for a second, not having expected that at all, before saying, just as quietly so Ethan wouldn't hear them, "I should be asking you that. Why did you attack Ethan?"

Isaac glanced away for a second before looking back at Scott, "I was stalling."

He blinked, once again confused by Isaac's reaction, "Stalling?"

Isaac nodded and Scott's confusion must have been glaringly obvious because he see that Isaac was trying not to smile, "Yeah. Coach wanted to get the bus moving again and Stiles and Lydia were trying to convince him not to leave, but, you know Coach, he wouldn't listen. So I decided to do something to make him wait."

"By trying to kill Ethan?"

Isaac scoffed, "Scott, if I'd wanted to kill him, he'd be dead. He barely fought back. I was _stalling_ so that you wouldn't get left behind."

Scott wasn't sure how to respond to that. He'd thought for sure that Isaac had been trying to kill Ethan, that he'd just lost it and attacked the other werewolf. It had been the only thing he'd been able to think of as a reason behind Isaac's actions. Maybe Isaac had more control than he'd thought.

Before he could figure out what to say, Isaac asked, "Scott, are you okay? That wound in your side?"

He nodded quickly, "Yeah, I'm fine. Really. But if you were just stalling, why not go after Boyd? The two of you could've made it look real without anyone getting hurt."

Isaac shrugged uncomfortably, "Yeah, well, I didn't exactly stop to explain it to him. Plus … I might not have been entirely in control when I went at him."

"Why not? You just said you weren't trying to kill him."

Isaac looked down at his hands and didn't answer and Scott gently took one of Isaac's hands in his, "Isaac, if you're having trouble controlling it, maybe I can help."

Isaac was silent for a few seconds, then he let out a sigh and looked up into Scott's eyes, "I saw you being carried into the bathroom, you were getting worse, not better. I was worried about you and I … I thought that if you were suffering and I couldn't do anything to help you, then at least I could make him suffer, too."

He could hear the anxiety in Isaac's voice, despite how quiet they were being, and realized belatedly how his own pain had affected Isaac. It hadn't crossed his mind at the time, the pain had made it almost impossible to think and focus. But now he could see it plain and clear in Isaac's eyes. Isaac claimed to have been in control when he went after Ethan, but Scott was certain that that control had slipped at least a little. He was glad that he'd gotten back when he did. He didn't want to think of what might have happened if that fight had gone on any longer.

So he did his best to be reassuring, "Hey, I'm getting better. I promise. Don't go starting anything, please. I don't want anyone else getting hurt, especially you."

Isaac nodded and glanced around quickly to make sure no one was watching before leaning in for a kiss, which brought a smile to Scott's lips when he pulled away, "You're right. You were right about taking on the Alpha pack, too. I'll try not to start anything, but if you get into trouble don't expect me to stay on the sidelines."

Scott nodded, knowing that he could expect nothing less from Isaac. Not that he was unhappy that Isaac would fight for him, it honestly made him feel a little bit better because if Isaac listened to him then maybe another debacle like the pack battle wouldn't happen again. They couldn't afford to lose anyone, whether or not Ennis was still alive and whether or not that meant Derek might still be alive too, not with this Darach running around killing people. Especially not if Stiles was right and the Darach was preparing for battle.


	17. Chapter 17: Fading Memories

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait since the last update. I've gotten to the point where I need to see more episodes to keep writing. During the latest episode I couldn't help but notice that while all the other werewolves were trying to kill themselves, Isaac was just sort of hiding under a bed scared out of his mind. Which sort of makes it seem like he wasn't quite in the same amount of danger as everyone else, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

They were both exhausted by the time they made it back home, mentally and emotionally and physically. Sleeping on the bus hadn't exactly been comfortable, so they were still tired. The emotional and mental fatigue came from the events at that motel. Each of the werewolves had gone through something that was absolutely harrowing, but none of them knew what the others had experienced. Stiles, Lydia, and Allison knew, but they hadn't told anyone what they had seen.

Isaac figured they thought it was only for each of the werewolves to share, if they felt like it. Although he didn't expect his own hallucinations to be much of a mystery to anyone. Everyone in their little group knew at least the basics of his past. He was a little grateful that no one had really said anything about it, especially since when he'd come back to himself he'd realized he was hiding under a bed. He was kind of embarrassed about that.

Scott's mom had left a note letting them know that she was working so they had the house to themselves. Isaac was grateful for that, he was tired and didn't want to be polite with her when he just wanted to curl up and sleep and try to forget. But Scott seemed troubled by it, troubled in a way that Isaac hadn't seen any other time they'd come home to see that Scott's mom was gone.

"Scott, you okay?"

Scott looked up, surprised like he had forgotten that Isaac was still around, "Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Its just … bad memories, you know?"

Isaac nodded, "The motel."

Scott let out a heavy sigh, "Yeah. Are you okay? I mean, we all nearly died because of what was going on in our heads."

He wanted to just nod and say he was fine, give the stock response to that question, but this was Scott he was talking to so he decided to give the honest answer, "I could be worse."

That got a tired nod from Scott, "I guess it'd be a little too easy to just be back to normal after that. Could you tell me about it? What it was like for you? No one gave me any specifics, but I got the feeling that everyone was a lot more worried about me and Boyd than you."

Even though it was old ground and Isaac had no desire to go back there, he knew that Scott wouldn't let it go until he got an answer that satisfied him, so he leaned back against the wall, slouching a little as he said, "I, uh, heard my dad's voice again. Like he was in the room with me and he was angry with me, just like he always was by the end. Then I was … in the freezer again … and I guess you can figure out the rest."

And he knew Scott could, especially when Scott came over to where he was standing and wrapped his arms around him, softly saying, "I'm sorry. Just remember that he can't hurt you anymore. He's gone and I'm right here."

Isaac nodded as he pulled Scott closer, knowing that he would never get tired of having him in his arms, "I know that, its just … in that place it got to me. Like I couldn't not believe he was there and I was getting forced back into the freezer again."

Scott didn't say anything to that and Isaac felt like there wasn't really anything more to say about his less than thrilling experience at that motel. He didn't want to say anything else about it and Scott seemed to have gotten all the information he wanted. So they just stood there in each other's arms, taking comfort in the physical contact that reassured the both of them beyond any doubt that they were both still alive and both right there.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there before stepping back and heading to Scott's room. It was a little earlier than usual for them to be heading to bed, but these past few days were just one crisis after another and they were exhausted. Plus, they'd soon have their normal lives to get back to, although Isaac wouldn't even try to guess how long it would be until some new crisis popped up.

As they entered Scott's room, Isaac had to say something because he knew Scott well enough to know that he was still rattled by what he'd gone through, "Do you want to talk about it? What you went through, I mean."

Scott stared for a couple seconds before shaking his head, "No. Thanks, really, but no. I'd rather not go back there."

"Scott, its still bothering you. You wouldn't have gotten worried when you saw that note your mom left." When Scott didn't look convinced, he said, "Come on, you're always helping me and making sure I'm alright. Maybe I can help you for once."

That seemed to get through to Scott, who sat down on his bed heavily and Isaac quickly joined him, "You're right. It is bothering me. I wasn't being scared out of my mind like you were. Instead I just got … so depressed. It made me think that everything was hopeless and that it was my fault that people kept getting hurt because it only happened whenever I got involved. And somehow it got in my head that everyone else would be better off if I wasn't around."

Isaac may not have been very confident as to what to do in romantic situations or with people he really cared for, but he didn't hesitate to pull Scott into a tight embrace because Scott needed to know that what he'd just said was the complete opposite of reality, "You can't really think that, Scott. None of the bad things that've been happening to us are your fault. And we'd all be a lot worse off if it wasn't for you."

The idea of Scott breaking down and giving up was one that terrified him. Scott was the one who was always worrying about everyone else before himself. He was the one who tried to find a way to get through a bad situation without anyone dieing. He was the one who at least tried to seem optimistic to keep everyone else from giving up.

But Scott's reaction didn't make him feel any better because he just quietly said, "Sometimes I wonder."

Then Isaac was pulling back to look Scott in the eye, "Scott, its true. Where would I be right now if you hadn't taken me in? I don't know where I would've gone. You probably don't realize how much it meant to me when I realized you actually cared about what happened to me."

Scott seemed taken aback by what Isaac had said and the vehemence with which he said it and it took him a moment to say, "I'm sorry, Isaac. I guess sometimes I just worry so much about everything that's going wrong I forget about what's gone right. You're right. Even if I haven't always done as well as I'd like, at least I've done right by you and that will always make me feel better."

That brought a smile to Isaac's lips, as well as no small amount of relief that what he'd said had gotten through, "Good. Now let's get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

Scott nodded, "Definitely. Waking up with you always makes me feel better."


	18. Chapter 18: Trouble Sleeping

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: Apologies for the long wait since the last update. The plot bunnies preferred that I work on my other Teen Wolf fic for a while. This chapter focuses on that little scene involving Scott and Isaac watching over Scott's mom and failing to stay awake through the night. It doesn't really touch on much else in that episode. Although it does provide an idea as to why Isaac fell asleep. Also, a little disappointed at the lack of Isaac in the last episode. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Scott let out a sigh and sat up in his bed. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, not with the Darach abducting healers to sacrifice and his mom qualified as a healer. He didn't even want to think about that. So he needed to make sure that didn't happen, but he couldn't stay up all night watching her. Not on his own.

He got out of bed and headed toward the guest room, hoping that Isaac would be willing to help. His mom didn't like the idea of them sleeping in the same room, so whenever she was home for the night Isaac had to stay in the guest room. Scott never liked it, mostly because Isaac still had the occasional nightmare and Scott's presence helped him calm down and get back to sleep. Although he would be lying if he said he didn't miss Isaac when he wasn't in bed with him.

Knocking on Isaac's door gently, he asked, "Isaac, you awake?"

There wasn't a response, but he did hear a sniffle and then he knew that Isaac was awake. He opened the door to see that the lamp on the bedside table was on and Isaac was sitting on his bed, knees up to his chest and his head on his knees. Instantly he knew why Isaac hadn't answered. He'd had another nightmare and for some reason he was embarrassed every time he had one. Scott didn't understand that at all, he understood that Isaac had gone through some pretty horrible stuff and it had left him scarred, at least emotionally even if not physically.

Scott quickly knelt down in front of Isaac and held one of his hands, "Isaac, its okay. Its over, he can't hurt you anymore. You're safe here."

Isaac nodded and mumbled, "Sorry I woke you."

Scott couldn't help the sigh that passed his lips and brought his hands to Isaac's face, gently forcing him to look at Scott, "Hey, you never have to apologize for this. Alright? No matter how many times it happens, even if it happened every night for the rest of your life I'd still make sure you're okay before going back to sleep and you would never have to apologize for it."

"I know you keep saying that, but … I just worry that you'll get tired of me waking you up in the night. That you'll get tired of me being so weak and helpless."

Scott shook his head quickly, hating the self-loathing words that Isaac had spoken, "You're not weak, Isaac, so please stop thinking that. I'll never think of you as weak or helpless. What you went through with your dad, it had to take a lot of strength to live through that. And I don't think anyone could have gone through that without getting a few scars along the way."

Isaac just nodded and from the look in his eyes, Scott knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with this tonight. It took some time for Isaac to get back to himself after a nightmare, even with Scott's help. It could be a little frustrating at times because Scott wanted Isaac to understand how great he really was, but it never seemed to sink in. But he knew when to stop pushing because that was another thing he knew about Isaac. Push him too hard about certain things, nightmares included, and he wouldn't react well.

So he decided to focus on why he'd checked on Isaac in the first place, "Isaac, could you, uh, help me out with something?" When Isaac nodded again, he continued, "Its my mom. I'm worried something might happen to her and the Darach seems to be sacrificing healers this time. So could you help me keep an eye on her tonight?"

Isaac took a long, deep breath and slowly got off the bed, "Yeah, sure. Its not like I'm going to much sleep tonight anyway."

As he stood up, Scott had to say, "I'm not forcing you. You know that, right?"

A small grin appeared on Isaac's face, "Yeah, I know, but your mom's been really nice to me, even after I started living here. Now I can repay the favor, if only a little."

Scott let out a relieved sigh, knowing that he shouldn't have worried about Isaac helping out or feeling forced to help out but sometimes he just couldn't help himself from worrying, and wrapped an arm around Isaac's waist, "It wasn't a problem, Isaac. You don't have to worry about repaying us for staying here. Now come on, let's go make sure nothing happens to my mom."

* * *

Scott couldn't deny that he felt a little disappointed that Isaac somehow couldn't stay awake when his mom's life was potentially at stake. But at the same time he knew that it wasn't because Isaac was unwilling to help out. Out of all the people he knew, Peter Hale and Jackson were the likeliest culprits of saying they'd help and then leaving you hanging. Not Isaac, not when he felt like he owed Scott and his mom for taking him in when he had no where else to go after Derek had kicked him out.

So once he was able to speak to Isaac in private, he asked, "How'd you fall asleep? You knew you had last watch, right?"

Isaac sighed heavily and hunched his shoulders, looking away, "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

Scott frowned, that wasn't the type of reaction he'd expected, "Isaac, is something wrong?"

Another sigh and Isaac didn't say anything for so long that Scott started to think he'd have to push a bit harder for an answer, but then Isaac softly spoke, "I'm sorry. I've just … I haven't been sleeping well … not since the motel."

And Isaac didn't need to say anything else because, even though Scott wasn't as smart as Stiles or Lydia, he knew Isaac. The nightmares were a seemingly never ending reminder of what Isaac had gone through with his dad and how much damage Mr. Lahey had caused. Scott hated seeing the pain resurface time and again, the old scars that didn't mar his skin yet still troubled him. But he knew that the years of abuse wasn't something that Isaac wasn't going to recover from instantly.

So he quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Isaac, hoping that he'd be able to provide some level of comfort just by being close, and was glad when Isaac immediately wrapped his arms around Scott's waist and laid his head on Scott's shoulder, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Every night?" Isaac nodded, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to cause any problems with your mom, since she doesn't want us sharing your room all the time. Plus with all the trouble with the Alpha Pack and the Darach, I didn't want to add to the list."

Scott resisted the urge to sigh or shake his head because that wasn't the type of reaction he wanted Isaac to see, instead he tried to be as reassuring as he could, "Isaac, you could have told me. I know things are getting really crazy and messed up again, but you can always come to me. It doesn't matter what else is going on."

Isaac spoke into his shoulder, "I know, its just … I feel like I'm always burdening you with the same problems over and over again and I'm too weak to deal with it myself."

Scott pulled back and looked Isaac in the eye, because he wanted this to get through and because he hadn't realized how much Isaac's continued nightmares were affecting him, "Isaac, you're not weak. You're strong, really strong, because you survived what your dad did to you. And yes you have some scars from it, but who wouldn't? And you don't have to deal with it yourself. I knew about this before you were my boyfriend, so its not like the details will scare me off or something."

There wasn't a sudden smile on Isaac's lips or anything like that, but from the look on his face Scott could tell he was getting through. Isaac didn't say anything either, instead he tightened his hold on Scott and laid his head on Scott's shoulder again, nuzzling his neck a little. This time Scott knew it wasn't about needing or seeking comfort or support, it was about gratitude. Because Isaac wasn't used to getting help from others or going to others for help, for years he'd had to muddle through on his own. That thought always pissed Scott off, that Isaac had been alone in his misery, because Jackson may have been the only person to know and he'd done nothing.

But he pushed that thought aside and focused on Isaac, "Hey, if we're able to get any sleep tonight, you're sleeping with me."

Isaac nodded against him because they both knew that sleeping together helped keep his nightmares at bay. Whether or not they would have the night to just sleep, that was another question, what with the Darach's third healer not yet sacrificed. But having Isaac in bed with him (whether or not sex was involved) was something to look forward to, whether or not his mom approved because Isaac dealing with nightmares every time he went to sleep was something Scott wanted to put a stop to as quickly as possible.


	19. Chapter 19: One More, One Less

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So this chapter is taking place during the same day as the previous one. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

After watching Boyd get impaled on Derek's claws, it only took Isaac a second to realize that the alpha wasn't in any state to be taking care of things. The shock of killing Boyd, one of his pack members and a werewolf that he'd given the bite to personally, was without a doubt deeply and horrendously painful. But once Kali and the twins were gone, Isaac knew that there was one thing to be taken care of; his English teacher, Ms. Blake.

How she was involved in all of this, Isaac wasn't sure. Derek was never particularly talkative even when he'd been part of his pack. Now, he had no idea what was going on in Derek's head, except for what was obvious at the moment. He just knew that someone was going to have to explain everything to her because if she hadn't known about werewolves before there was no denying it now. Not that he was going to explain it to her. That felt like something better left to Derek since he was the reason she had been dragged into this.

It felt a little strange, getting her up and getting her home. It was a complete reversal of the whole teacher-student relationship. Plus, Boyd deserved to be mourned properly, even if Isaac hadn't known him very well. They'd been pack for a little while, but they hadn't had the connection that Boyd and Erica had had.

But if there was one thing Isaac knew how to do, it was to keep going through pain. Put up the appearance that everything was alright, even when it wasn't. Get a beating the night before and sport a black eye the next day, play it off as an injury from lacrosse. Exhausted and feel like crap, doesn't matter. Have to stay awake and focus on what teachers say in class so that his grades don't slip. This was just another one of those times, better and yet worse at the same time, oddly enough.

So he got Ms. Blake back to the high school where her car was parked so she could get home, fending off her questions the entire way. Yes, he knew exactly what was going on. Yes, Derek would be fine, more or less. He was alright physically, even if he was a mess emotionally. No, he wouldn't tell her what was going on, just that she should ask Derek for an explanation when he felt up to it. He was the one who got her involved in this, as far as Isaac could tell. No, she wasn't going to be attacked by the people who had kidnapped her and then fought Derek and killed Boyd. She was only human, after all, and not even a hunter. Which he could see only caused her to think of another question, but finally she stopped asking and let him be on his way, which he was grateful for.

It wasn't like he disliked her or didn't want her to know. He just had no idea how to go about explaining it, plus with whatever was going on between her and Derek it felt like Derek should be the one to clue her in instead of Isaac. He wasn't a particularly talkative person, something that had been hammered into him courtesy of his dad. Silence or else the beatings and punishments get worse. Even though he knew that wouldn't happen now that his dad was dead, it wasn't like everything he'd learned could suddenly disappear. The only person he ever truly felt comfortable around was Scott, everyone else he viewed with varying degrees of wariness.

On his way back to Scott's house, despite how welcoming Scott and mom were he just couldn't think of it as his home, he sent a text to Stiles letting him know that Ms. Blake was fine for now. Stiles was probably the one who was the most on top of things over there at the moment. When he got back to the house, he quickly realized that no one was home. Mrs. McCall was working again, which made Isaac just how much she actually worked because his dad had been home a lot more than she was. Scott wasn't there either, but Isaac expected that he'd be home sooner than his mom.

So he went up to the guest room to lay down and process what had just happened. He still thought of it as the guest room, much like he thought of the McCall house as such rather than as his home. The thing was, he'd had two homes already. First, the one with his family and then the loft he'd been living in with Derek. Neither of those had worked out very well, to put it lightly. While he lived in the first one, his entire family had died and his dad had abused him. He'd been kicked out of the other one, though he still didn't know why. So he didn't want to think of the McCall house as his latest home for fear that he might somehow jinx it. Crazy as it may sound, weirder things have happened.

He laid down on his bed and let his mind return to the day's events. If forced to guess why Boyd's trap had failed, he'd say Kali and the twins probably smelled all the water and realized something was up. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately it had kind of backfired.

He let out a sigh. It sucked that Boyd was dead, but Isaac honestly hadn't really known him that well. Plus it had been … well, at the time he'd had the same thought of running away, but he'd come back. Boyd hadn't. Looking back on it, Isaac couldn't help but feel disappointed in Boyd because when things had gotten rough Boyd and Erica had run off to try finding a different pack to join.

It seemed like a contradiction; they hang around when they're weak and human but after becoming werewolves and having the power to do something when everything's going to hell they turn tail and run for safety. Isaac had come back and nearly died several times because of it, but finally being free of his dad and having all the power that came with being a werewolf were unbelievable. Yet, with all the good that came with being a werewolf, it wasn't too terrible a shock when things got tough. Karmic balance or just life being a bitch, whatever it was Isaac couldn't say he was all that surprised when some bad came to balance out the good.

So the sadness wasn't there, at least not to the same extent as with Derek, surely. Not for Isaac. Frustration and anger came to him more easily than the sadness. The Alpha Pack had won this round, just like they seemed to win every round. Which kind of made sense, seeing as they were all Alphas, but it didn't make it feel any better. The only thing that did so far was the death of Ennis. One dead on each side. Not that Isaac was in any mood to go an eye for an eye, that could mean either his death or Scott's.

But he tried to let the anger fade away, or at least he tried not to cling to it, because he knew Scott would be disappointed in him if he held onto it and did something reckless. Scott wanted to avoid anyone getting hurt and Isaac would back him on that, but he wasn't nearly so kind hearted as to hope that everyone would make it out alright. He wanted the Alpha Pack to suffer for killing Erica, that girl who'd saved him, and now Boyd.

It wasn't long before Scott got back and headed right up to the guest room and laid down on the bed with Isaac, softly saying, "Stiles told me. I'm sorry."

Isaac nodded and shifted around to lay his head on Scott's chest, finding his heartbeat soothing, "Derek's taking it a lot harder than me. I didn't really know Boyd that well, even though we were pack mates for awhile."

Scott's hand trailed up and down his back and gently said, "I wish we'd gotten the chance to get to know him. I just don't know anything about him, like why he accepted the bite from Derek, what happened over the summer, what he was like as a person."

"He never really talked about any of that. He was just like Derek that way, never talked unless he needed to. Now we'll never know."

He'd spoken with a sort of detached sadness, mainly because he didn't know Boyd well enough to really mourn him, and the two of them lapsed into silence. They both knew that if anyone was going to take care of any kind of funeral for Boyd it was going to be Derek. Unless Boyd still had family, but neither of them were sure if he did.

After a minute or two, Isaac quietly asked, "So where were you?"

Scott didn't get offended or tense up because he knew that Isaac was just curious, "Deaton was going to be the third healer sacrificed. I went to save him."

"Did you?"

"Yeah, with some help from Stiles' dad. Deaton was surrounded by a circle of mountain ash, so I couldn't get to him. Stiles is going to tell his dad about all of this, let him know what's really been going on. He's really worried about it though, like somehow it might get his dad hurt."

Isaac nodded against Scott's chest, but didn't immediately say anything. He wasn't really able to relate to that concern, his family was dead and the people who he was associated with in any way already knew. Still, he hoped that it worked out between Stiles and his dad. Sheriff Stilinski wasn't a bad guy, even when he'd arrested Isaac he'd treated him with kindness.

But he did say something after a few seconds, "I hope he takes it well. Maybe he'd be able to help out from time to time, like help figure out who the Darach is."

Scott let out a sigh, "I just hope he can handle it all. It is kind of a big shock."

"Me too."

They lapsed into silence again and Isaac could tell that something was still troubling Scott. He figured it was probably Boyd's death. Scott was the kind of person who cared for and worried about everyone, even if he hadn't known them well. Isaac liked that, it was what had first drawn him to Scott, but he worried sometimes that it just caused Scott more stress and anxiety. Not that he would want Scott to change.

He wasn't sure how long they laid there, silently taking comfort in being together, before Scott reluctantly announced that they both had homework to do and that they should try to keep up as much as possible since they'd both missed a lot of school that day. Which wasn't something Isaac wanted to think about, but he let Scott get up and do the homework he'd been assigned. He was content to watch Scott leave the room while he just laid there a while longer, but Scott stopped at the door and turned to look at him, clearly making sure that he did his own homework as well.

Balancing life between the supernatural and the normal wasn't something Isaac all that excited about, but he got up and went over to his backpack to start doing his homework. He knew it was better to keep the balancing act going as long as possible and to do it as well as he possibly could, but sometimes he just didn't want to try. There were times he wanted to let his life be all about the supernatural side of it, like today because he didn't want to try to focus on math problems so soon after Boyd's death. But he'd do it because it kept Scott happy and he wanted to keep Scott happy if he could.


	20. Chapter 20: Looking for Answers

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: I'm sorry for the wait, I meant to have this up earlier. But I've decided not to rush writing new chapters as soon as an episode airs because, just like with the latest episode when the Darach's identity was revealed, sometimes they end on cliff hangers and I have no clue what happens next. And I try to keep this story going in a way that works with the show. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Scott stood in the center of his room awkwardly, unable to deny the sense of deja vu because they'd done this before, as Isaac stood in the door and asked, "Something come up?"

Because of course Isaac had heard Scott's phone go off and the change in the rhythm of his heart beat, if only for a few seconds. They were both werewolves and it was the middle of the day, so Isaac was awake. Plus it wasn't like Isaac really had anywhere else to go or anyone else to demand his attention. It was something that made Scott both happy and sad simultaneously. Happy because it meant Isaac had more time for him, sad because of how small Isaac's circle of friends and family was and the reason behind it.

But he tried not to focus on that and tried to reassure Isaac, "Kind of, but you don't need to come. Its not like last time."

They both knew what he was referring to, when he'd tried to talk to Deucalion in the hope of preventing a confrontation. He still wasn't sure how Isaac had known that something was up. But this time was different. Gerard wasn't even able to get out of his wheelchair, or so Allison had said.

His answer didn't seem to satisfy Isaac, "Not like last time. Is that a good or a bad thing?"

Scott let out a sigh, mostly because he could understand Isaac's concern with the vague answer, and knew that Isaac deserved the truth, "Hopefully, a good thing. Allison found out what happened to Gerard after he disappeared. He's still alive, but apparently he can't really do much anymore. I'm hoping he'll be able to provide some answers about Deucalion."

Isaac brows went up, no doubt surprised about Gerard's condition and he probably had a few questions he really wanted answered, but all he said was, "Okay. You're sure you don't want me coming along? I mean, the last time we dealt with Gerard he nearly killed all of us."

He crossed the room and put a hand on Isaac's shoulder, hoping to reassure him a little bit, "I'll be alright, I promise. Besides, we need to know more about who we're dealing with. Maybe Gerard knows something that can help us stop anymore people from getting killed."

Isaac nodded and looked away and Scott knew that he'd won, but although Isaac's determination was waning, he still asked, "You're sure you don't want me to come? This is Gerard we're talking about."

Scott smiled, pleased to know that Isaac worried over him but at the same time not wanting Isaac to worry, and leaned in for a slow kiss, pulling back only as far as he needed to speak, "I promise I'll be fine. Gerard isn't even mobile anymore. But I don't want to do something stupid in front of Gerard and Allison to reveal our relationship. I don't know how Allison will react to that and I don't want to hurt her. Plus, knowing Gerard."

He didn't say anything more, but he could see that Isaac understood what he meant. He worried that Gerard would find some way to exploit that little bit of knowledge to cause some kind of pain for someone. He didn't say that Allison's dad didn't want her involved in this stuff anymore and that they were hoping to avoid him.

Isaac sighed and nodded again, "Okay, okay. Go ahead, just be careful … and let me know if he tells you anything useful."

Scott gave Isaac another kiss, "Of course. I'll be back soon."

* * *

When Melissa McCall got home from her shift at the hospital, which for once in what felt like forever hadn't been the night shift, she quickly noticed that someone had gone on a bit of a cleaning spree. Except for her bedroom, every carpeted room had been vacuumed and dusted. Which confused her at first because Scott had never been one for cleaning the house unless she told him to or he just felt his room was too messy.

After a few seconds she realized Isaac must have done it, which made her feel both grateful and a little concerned. Grateful because it meant less that she would have to do around the house, if only for a little while. Concerned because Scott had told her about what Isaac had gone through with his father and she didn't want him to think he needed to repay her or help out so that he could stay. She hadn't been exactly happy at the prospect of Isaac becoming a permanent resident in her house, not at first, but she'd let him stay, especially after Scott had told her about the abuse Isaac had suffered. If nothing else, she wanted to show Isaac that normal families weren't like that.

She found Isaac in his room reading a book, but didn't see or hear anything of Scott, "Do you know where Scott went?"

Isaac sat up on the bed and shrugged, "He wouldn't tell me, probably didn't want me following him."

Her brows rose at that, "Is he doing something dangerous?"

"He didn't think so when he left, said he was looking for answers."

"Answers to what?"

"To everything that's been going on recently; the Alpha Pack, the murders, what's causing it all."

She nodded slowly, not liking how casual Isaac seemed about it. Not that she'd rather be out of the loop now that she was aware of werewolves and so on, but she didn't like knowing that when all this fighting and killing happened her son was always involved and probably getting hurt just as often as not. Nor did she like how easy it seemed for Isaac to accept all this darkness around him, as if he expected to see suffering and pain all around him.

So she decided to change the subject, "Thanks for cleaning up around the house, I'd do it more often but it always feels like there's more work to do and not enough time to do it. But you know you don't have to."

And then she immediately regretted her decision when she saw him tense up and he cautiously said, "Sorry, I just feel like I'm imposing and you and Scott have been so nice since I showed up."

"Isaac, you don't have to worry about that. You'll always have a place here with us."

Isaac nodded, "I know, its just … sometimes I get a little … restless, I guess. I start to feel like I should be doing something because with my father I always had to be doing something productive."

Knowing that this was a fragile subject for Isaac, she decided to try lightening the mood, "Well, you don't have to worry about that here. As long as you go to school and get your homework done, you're free to slack off as much as you want."

That got a chuckle and a very brief grin from Isaac, but the amusement was gone as quick as it had come, "Thanks. Its hard to get used to, though. I mean, I know he's gone and you're definitely not my father, but I'm used to always having to keep up appearances. Get good grades, find a job and keep it, keep the house and yard in order or else people will start asking questions and if people start asking questions things will get worse."

From the way he said it and his posture, she could see that what he'd just said had been drilled into him until it was practically instinct. Her first instinct was to let out a sigh, but she held it in because she knew Isaac could easily take that the wrong way. When you take continuous abuse from one person or a select few people you learn to look for the little things they do that hint at their mood. Sighs, tone of voice, anything out of the ordinary. Look for the signs and react accordingly. But she didn't want Isaac to look at her that way, even though she knew that a part of him probably always would. He'd been too well trained to suddenly change.

"Well, like I said, you won't have to worry about that here. Although, if you really feel like you need to repay me, I'll only ask you to do one thing."

He frowned as he looked up at her, but he didn't look worried, just confused, "And what would that be?"

She smiled slightly, "Just keep an eye on Scott for me. I know he'd be the first to say that he should be worrying about me since he's a werewolf and I'm just human, but I'm still his mother after all."

Isaac's frown turned into a lopsided grin, "I can do that."

"Good, now I'm going to start making dinner. And you better appreciate it because I don't get to cook a good homemade meal as often as I'd like, but I guarantee it'll be better than fast food."

Both of them heard the lighthearted tone underneath the words and Isaac's grin grew a little as she headed toward the kitchen, hoping that whatever Scott was doing he'd be back for dinner.


	21. Chapter 21: Empty Answers

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So the flashback episode was kind of interesting, but I'm not too sure it told us much. At least, not from the perspective of Scott and Stiles because neither of them really trusted the person who was telling the story. Also, not a big fan of Cora so far, but I thought Ethan was kind of adorable when he was worrying over Danny. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

A couple hours after Scott got back from visiting Gerard, he and Stiles and Isaac were sitting in Scott's room, Scott at his desk and Isaac on the bed. Stiles was pacing back and forth since he seemed too wound up to sit down for more than a few seconds at a time. Both Isaac and Scott had been surprised to hear about the story Peter had told to Stiles and Cora about Derek and his high school girlfriend, while Stiles had been equally surprised to hear about Scott's visit to see Gerard and the story the old wheelchair-bound hunter had told about Deucalion. Now they were trying to absorb it all.

It was Stiles who broke the silence, naturally, "So Gerard told you that Deucalion wanted peace between hunters and werewolves, but that the meeting was a trap and somehow Gerard escaped without a mark on him after semi-blinding Deucalion?"

Scott nodded, but Isaac could see he wasn't blindly believing what he'd been told, "That's what he said, but … I don't like either."

Isaac frowned and slowly asked, "But which one do we believe? Gerard or Deucalion? Its not like either of them are all that trustworthy. And since when has Gerard not had a plan?"

None of them could really fault him for asking that because the last time they'd had to deal with Gerard they'd all been dancing to the old man's tune and after a few seconds Stiles added, "But, dude, we're also talking about _Deucalion_, the werewolf who killed his own pack then convinced at least two other Alphas to do the same and join up to create their own super pack. You really think he wanted peace with the Argents?"

Isaac shrugged, "I don't know, but I don't trust Gerard. And if Deucalion really wanted to kill all of the hunters, why would he only bring his own pack? Wasn't Ennis out for blood at the same time this happened? Surely he would've helped Deucalion set a trap if he asked."

Stiles was about to respond, but Scott quickly spoke up, "Maybe there was fault on both sides, maybe it was Deucalion who tried to kill Gerard, or maybe Gerard killed his own hunters and made it look like werewolves did it. The problem is, we can't really trust what Gerard or Peter say."

Isaac had realized what Scott was doing by the time he finished speaking, he was trying to stop an argument from starting, and Isaac was willing to do as Scott wanted even if he hadn't explicitly stated it. He'd learned a few things and it would take some time to process. And Scott was right, they couldn't really trust what they'd been told by Peter and Gerard. Both of them were killers and both of them were at least a little … off when it came to morals and such.

Stiles wasn't so quick to let the argument go, however, and continued as if Scott hadn't spoken, "I don't know, maybe Deucalion knew he couldn't bring in a horde of werewolves and he wasn't exactly Super Alpha at the time."

Isaac couldn't help the slight grin at Stiles' word choice, but didn't say anything. He would've liked to, simply because he was more inclined to believe Gerard was at fault than a werewolf, but he could see that Scott didn't want his best friend and his boyfriend arguing. So he let it go.

After a few seconds of him not saying anything, Stiles gave him a look that swiftly turned from shocked to knowing to slightly irritated as if Stiles wanted to continue arguing, even if only for the sake of arguing, and huffed, "Really? Scott says one little thing and you're completely obedient? Is that some kind of werewolf dynamic no one clued me in on?"

Scott looked confused, glancing over at Isaac as if he had no idea what Stiles was talking about, while Isaac shrugged easily, "Yes, depends, and maybe."

A smirk grew on his lips as Stiles just sort of gaped at him as he struggled to think up a response to that because Isaac was sure Stiles hadn't expected that kind of answer. Scott, seeming to clue in, snorted as his lips turned up in a grin. Isaac just sat there waiting for Stiles to come up with a response. Part of him wanted to push a little further, see how far he could wind Stiles up, but he knew that was something Scott wouldn't be all that happy about so he remained silent.

Finally Stiles came up with something, his voice slightly triumphant, "Okay, one example. Give me one example of when you did something Scott specifically didn't want you to do."

"The battle with the Alpha Pack. Scott wanted to go alone, but I wouldn't let him."

Stiles looked over at Scott, who nodded, causing Stiles to scoff, "Since when can I not beat either of you in an argument? Its not fair when you team up against me. Whatever, I'll outsmart both of you sooner or later. But seriously, how does any of this really help us? I mean, all we learned, essentially, is that Derek had his little heart broken in high school and that Deucalion can see sometimes even though Gerard blinded him after one or both of them set up a trap to kill the other."

Scott sighed, "I don't know. I wish I did."

Stiles stopped his pacing and moved to sit down on the bed next to Isaac, "Yeah, me too. None of this tells us anything about the Darach, like who it is or what its after, and here we are caught in the middle. Its not like we don't have enough to deal with on our own without a ritualistic serial killer and the werewolves of doom running around."

Both Isaac and Scott smiled, Stiles' word choice proving amusing as usual, and they let the conversation wander off in other directions, having said all that was needed on the subject of the stories they'd been told. None of them was entirely sure what to believe from either story, but they all knew that Deucalion wasn't exactly a reliable source either and Derek would be … reluctant, to put it lightly, to talk about the girl he'd fallen for and then killed.

As they talked, Stiles gave them the other news about Derek, that he was hiding out on his own somewhere for two days. Which didn't make any sense to Isaac, but then Derek had stopped making sense to Isaac the night he'd been thrown out of the apartment. He still didn't understand that. But he was glad that Stiles seemed willing to act as liaison between the Hales and Scott and Isaac, even if it was more for Scott than for him.

They kept talking for hours, although their conversation became much less serious about two minutes after they stopped talking about werewolves and such. It was … nice, relaxing, and Isaac was surprised by how much he enjoyed it. Right up until Ms. McCall opened the door to Scott's room and basically told Stiles he had to go home, regardless of it being the weekend, because it was getting late and his dad would worry.

Thankfully, she didn't say anything about Isaac going back to the guest room to sleep so, after Stiles was gone and Scott's mom had gone back to her room to get some sleep, Isaac climbed into bed with Scott. As he did, he couldn't help but wonder how much she knew about his nightmares and how he always slept better with Scott than alone. Whatever the case, ignorance or purposeful loophole for him to exploit, he was happy to take the opportunity presented as he wrapped his arms around Scott and soon the two were fast asleep, both confident that Isaac's nightmares would not plague him for one night at least.


	22. Chapter 22: Belated Answer

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: So the show doesn't seem to be getting around to explaining how the Alpha Pack got clued into Isaac's claustrophobia, so I thought I'd give an answer. Although I do realize that the show is dealing with more urgent matters than sorting out this little question, I just kind of wish they would explain that. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

It took awhile for him to realize it, what with everything going on and everything he'd found out recently. When he did, he felt at the same stupid for not realizing it sooner, slightly mortified that he'd given a kind of enemy some very useful information on himself, and angry that someone he'd spoken to in confidence had betrayed that trust. If Ms. Morrell, the high school guidance counselor, was a druid like Dr. Deaton and she was the emissary for Deucalion's pack, it meant that she must have been the one to tell them about his … problems with small, enclosed spaces.

He was laying in bed at the time, Scott's bed, and Scott had gotten up to shower while Isaac enjoyed the luxury of just waking up slowly because he was never able to enjoy it. But when that thought occurred he instantly sat up, wide awake. He didn't want to believe that the school's guidance counselor, whom he'd spoken to a few times, had spilled his secrets to the Alpha Pack. He let out a groan and flopped back onto the bed, covering his face with his hands, because as much as he didn't want to believe it he knew it was the most likely answer to that little mystery.

Scott came back at that moment and immediately asked, "You okay, Isaac?"

He sighed through his hands, not wanting to look at Scott at the moment even though he knew Scott wouldn't judge him, and miserably said, "I think I figured it out."

He wasn't looking, but he could hear the confusion in Scott's voice as he came closer to the bed, "Figured out what?"

There was a hand on his bare shoulder and he let his hands drop back to his sides to see Scott standing over him, a slightly worried expression on his face, "How the Alphas know stuff about me that they shouldn't. Ms. Morrell, you said that she's the druid emissary for the Alpha Pack."

Scott nodded slowly and his next words confirmed in Isaac's mind that while Scott wasn't a genius he wasn't stupid either, "You went to see her?" At Isaac's nod, he asked another question, "About … your dad?"

He sat up slowly and ran a hand through his curly hair and Scott sat down next to him as he said, "Yeah, back before we became werewolves. My dad … he used to be better at not hitting me somewhere that others could see, so one morning when I walked into class with a huge bruise on my face and a black eye one of the teachers called my dad. Just to see if some other kids were bullying me or something, but whatever my dad told that teacher wasn't what I told him so then I got sent to see Ms. Morrell."

Scott's hand tightened on his shoulder and he glanced over to see sympathy in Scott's eyes, "They were worried about you. Did you tell them anything?"

Isaac shook his head and stared at the floor, "No. When my dad … first started, well you know … I thought he'd stop if I threated to tell somebody. Every time I did, it just got worse and he'd go on and on about how life wouldn't get better even if I talked. It didn't take long for me to stop thinking about telling someone."

He'd tried to keep his voice level and free of emotion, but he knew Scott had heard the pain those memories brought up. Even without werewolf senses, he was sure Scott would've heard it. Sometimes he thinks he was only able to hide the abuse because no one bothered to care and actually figure out why he'd had bruises and black eyes for no reason, why he'd been so quiet and alone. It was why he'd probably never forgive Jackson, the spoiled kid who thought it so terrible that he'd been adopted, because Jackson had known and couldn't be bothered to give a damn.

But that train of thought was completely derailed when Scott's arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him close so that his head was resting on Scott's shoulder and it was only then that he realized Scott had turned to face him, "So what happened with Ms. Morrell?"

As Isaac took a deep breath, he also realized that Scott wasn't wearing a shirt either. Only a towel around his waist, which meant it was probably still early enough that Melissa wouldn't be up and about. Plus, they'd reached the stage where they were both completely comfortable around each other, with or without clothes.

"Nothing, really. My dad had sent me a text before I saw her so I knew what I was supposed to say. Something about doing stupid, somewhat dangerous things because my brother died. That somehow got me a few more sessions with her, we talked about grief and fears and moving on but nothing else. Then after a few weeks she stopped scheduling meetings and off I went. I had the feeling that she knew more than she was saying, especially when we stopped. It was like she was just tired of putting up with me."

Scott rested his head against Isaac's and was quiet for a few seconds before asking, "But how did that get to you revealing your claustrophobia? I mean, you seem pretty good at keeping secrets."

That got a wry chuckle out of Isaac, "I guess. But, um, her office is too small. As soon as I walked in there I just wanted to turn around and leave, especially after she closed the door. It wasn't that hard for her to realize why I was so nervous."

Scott's arms tightened around him and he quietly said, "I'm sorry."

He didn't say anything back, mostly because there wasn't really anything else to say. Also, that little trip down memory lane had been a little draining. He knew that he didn't have to say anything, as well. Scott knew how to read him, would know that he appreciated the sentiment. So he just sat there, basking in the feeling of having someone so close, of having someone hold him close. He knew it was something he'd never get tired of, not when it was Scott holding him close.


	23. Chapter 23: Waiting

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. I needed time to decide what to write and the plot bunnies were pushing me in another direction. Anyway, the finale was really cool and I totally called it when I said Ethan and Aiden might not be total bad guys. But I wasn't happy with the whole Isaac/Allison thing that's going on. Mostly because I don't get it. How did that happen? I've seen every episode in season 3 but I just don't get it. Maybe its because I'm gay and I cannot determine if a girl is hot or not. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

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Isaac couldn't help but stare at the tubs as the hours dragged by and worry. Worry that Deaton's plan wouldn't work, that Scott wouldn't live, that this darkness Deaton had talked about might change Scott somehow. That he wouldn't have a chance to explain to Scott why he'd been with Allison and why the two of them had an emotional connection now. He knew Scott would understand, it was Scott after all, but he couldn't help but worry that there _was_ a misunderstanding souring things between the two of them.

He tried to take comfort in the fact that with the way things were going it was easy to understand why he and Scott hadn't talked. It was like the tempo had suddenly been doubled or tripled, things had been moving so quickly that there was no time to just sit down and think or talk. First Allison hadn't shown up to school and Isaac had decided to check on her, knowing that it would've been a terrible blow to Scott if something happened to her, but then she had been so determined to go hunting for the Darach and Isaac had never been all that good at saying no to people. Plus he knew Scott would hate him if Allison had faced the Darach alone because he'd walked away.

Then they showed up at the school and he'd seen the look on Scott's face, the confusion, and he'd wanted to explain what was going on right then and there but he thought he could help the Argents. Werewolf hunters they may be, but they couldn't hear and smell the things he could so he'd thought maybe he could help find the Darach. If Chris Argent was confident enough in his skills to hunt down the Darach on his own, Isaac figured being by the man's side wasn't a terrible place to be.

Then there was the hospital. Rushing to find Scott and the others, coming up with a plan to get Ms. Blake out so she could heal Cora, then doing what he was supposed to do and realizing a few things had gone wrong. He hadn't wanted to leave without Scott, every fiber of his being had been shouting at him to stay and wait for Scott or to go find him, but then the alpha twins had shown up and Peter had been shouting at him.

When everyone met up again it was only to find out that Scott had gone with Deucalion and that his mom had been taken by the Darach. It was Stiles who had told him that Scott was a True Alpha, or at least he could be, and that Deucalion wanted Scott in his Alpha Pack. Oddly enough, now that he had time to think about it, the thought of Scott being an alpha kind of made sense. Those times when Scott had called his name and calmed him down, brought him back to himself when he was losing himself to the wolf, he'd always thought it was because of the connection that he and Scott had. But he'd never been sure and what beta submitted to another beta? If Scott became an alpha, that would explain it because it had felt just like that time Derek made him submit.

But after the hospital, everyone had gone their separate ways. He'd gone to Derek's loft, hoping that the alpha would have some idea or plan. Some way to get Scott away from Deucalion, to stop the Darach, to rescue Stiles' dad and Scott's mom. But Derek had just been sitting there, worrying over Cora and not doing anything useful. It had felt surreal, yelling at Derek, his former alpha and the man who'd made him a werewolf. He'd never raised his voice to his dad or Derek or anyone else in any position of authority for as long as he could remember.

Then he'd gone to the Argents knowing that they'd be doing something and he'd been right. Except Chris Argent had used that shock baton, or whatever it was called, on him before handcuffing Allison and giving himself up to the Darach. Allison had cried as soon as he'd gotten her free, suddenly feeling the shock and heart stopping terror of possibly losing her only living parent, and he'd been a shoulder to cry on. He remembered something about needing to find Scott, that had been the recurring thought going through his head ever since Scott went off with Deucalion.

He supposed that was when that emotional connection came up between him and Allison that Deaton had mentioned, he really hoped she wasn't starting to look at him like she'd looked at Scott. It really made him want to say that he was already taken, but he didn't want to be a jerk, especially if he misreading things. Which might be the case, he'd never been good with girls. But he was honestly confused as to why Allison might be interested in him. Did she have a thing for werewolves? That wouldn't really make sense for someone who hunted them.

Eventually they'd gotten to this point, with Scott and Stiles and Allison doing this surrogate sacrifice thing. He'd thought it would be quick, a few minutes in and then they'd pop out of the ice water with answers. That had been the way it'd been for him. But five hours in and no sign of them coming out of it any time soon. He was getting nervous and he'd started pacing about an hour ago, watching for any sign of movement.

At first he'd been a little worried about being so obvious, but by now he didn't care. Deaton and Lydia could stare at him all they wanted. Everything inside of him, human and werewolf, was keeping him in that room. Scott had been worried, before all this crap with the Darach and the Alpha Pack, that Allison would be hurt if she found out about the two of them being together. At this moment, waiting as each second felt like an eternity as it ticked by, he didn't care about Allison's feelings. He just wanted to know that Scott would be okay and that the two of them were okay.

He was so focused on Scott that he wasn't aware anyone else was in the room until he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Deaton standing behind him, his voice calm and reassuring, "Everything is all right, Isaac. This … ritual is impossible to predict in regard to how long it will take. They'll all be fine."

Isaac nodded and tried to calm down, belatedly realizing that his anxiety might be bothering Deaton and Lydia, although Deaton never really seemed to lose his cool, "Sorry. Its just that I was under for a few minutes, this has been five hours."

Deaton nodded slowly and glanced at their friends, "I know. But I have a feeling that isn't your only concern. Did something happen between you and Scott?"

He wasn't sure how, but Isaac was sure that Deaton knew what was really going on between him and Scott. He could see it in the man's eyes. Which made him wonder if Scott had told him or if he'd figured it out on his own. But it didn't matter, he couldn't see any judgment or negativity in Deaton's eyes.

Isaac let out a sigh, "No, not really. I mean, I'm just worried that he might have the wrong idea about this emotional connection between me and Allison."

Another nod from Deaton, then he asked, "Isaac, what do you know about True Alphas?"

He blinked, surprised at the question, "Uh, just that they don't have to kill another alpha to become an alpha."

"That's true, but it is not the whole story. True Alphas rise to become alphas by the force of their will and by the strength of their character. Scott is a True Alpha even though he hasn't embraced it yet. But Deucalion, Kali, Ennis, Ethan and Aiden, they could never become True Alphas. Killers are not and can never be True Alphas."

That was starting to make more sense. If he understood Deaton correctly, that meant only a truly good person could be a True Alpha and Scott definitely fit that bill. Scott was unique in his kindness, his selflessness. But that still left one question.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm trying to make sure you understand what kind of person Scott is. Being a True Alpha, whatever misunderstanding there might be between you two won't stop him from listening to what you have to say. If he is worried about how close you and Allison might be getting, he'll at least give you a chance to explain. I'm also sure that he trusts you, Isaac, he won't let his actions be dictated by jealousy and insecurity when it comes to you."

Isaac nodded and looked back at Scott in that tub of ice water, hearing the truth in the druid's words, "Thanks."

Deaton didn't say anything for a few minutes and Isaac figured the conversation was over until the druid quietly asked, "If Scott does become an alpha, would you join his pack?"

He nodded immediately, "Of course."

Deaton didn't seem to have anything to say to that, all that Isaac heard was the man walking off. Which left Isaac to watch Scott, Stiles, and Allison and wait.


	24. Chapter 24: After the Dust Settles

Isaac/Scott

Author's Note: I apologize for the long wait since I updated last. The plot bunnies can be fickle and send me in different directions all the time. I hate to say that this story has to come to an end. It was originally intended to follow along with the show and make Isaac and Scott work as a romantic pairing, but I feel like I can't keep going into season 3B because Isaac is getting with Allison. Which I just don't understand, but I'm not in charge of the show so its not up to me. So I can't make the Isaac/Scott relationship jive with the show when Isaac's with Allison. Anyway, thank you to everyone who has followed/favorited/reviewed or any combination thereof, and I hope you enjoy.

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They didn't get a chance to talk until it was all over. Ms. Blake had disappeared, Kali was dead, Deucalion had agreed to leave Beacon Hills, and Ethan and Aiden were staying. Derek and Cora were leaving, too, and Isaac wasn't sure how he felt about that. He hoped that wherever they went things worked out for them. It was a little strange, knowing that the guy who had turned him into a werewolf was leaving while Isaac was staying put. But Scott was his alpha now, not Derek.

They also didn't get a chance to talk until after Scott's dad had visited, which had ended much differently than Isaac had expected. Him showing up had been a surprise, but Scott's dad had asked, within five minutes of showing up, why Isaac was hanging around the house. Melissa had responded by simply saying, in a tone that brokered no argument, that he lived there now. Scott's dad hadn't been happy, but he'd let it go and went to talk to Scott. Who promptly shut the door in his face, which Isaac wanted to laugh at but he restrained himself.

It wasn't until that night, after Melissa had gone to work, that Isaac finally got a chance to talk to Scott. Except he wasn't quite sure how to start. Things had moved so quickly that it was kind of difficult to find his bearings once everything had calmed down. Scott beat him to it, though, by walking into the guest room (eventually Isaac would start thinking of it as his room, just not yet) and sitting down on the bed next to Isaac, putting an arm around his shoulders. And somehow just with that touch, Isaac felt comfortable again. He let Scott pull him closer and laid his head on Scott's shoulder.

Scott let out a long sigh, not quite happy but definitely not unhappy, "We made it. We survived. No more Alpha Pack, no more Darach, no more human sacrifices."

Isaac nodded against Scott's shoulder, "And you're an alpha now."

"And I'm an alpha now."

They fell silent for a second, both thinking the same thing. Scott was an alpha and Isaac was his beta. Scott didn't even have to ask to know that it was true. Isaac knew Scott knew that. Even before Scott had become an alpha it had been clear who Isaac was more loyal to between Scott and Derek. Not that Scott ever would've forced the issue.

Isaac broke the silence by asking, "What was it like, Deucalion and Ms. Blake?"

Scott's arm tightened around his shoulders, "I'm just glad you weren't there. Not that I would ever want to stick you with a small enclosed space like that cellar, but Deucalion wolfing out was like something from a movie. He didn't even have to try when it came to fighting Derek and I don't think Ms. Blake would've been able to do anything to him if not for the eclipse. He moved so quickly and he was so much stronger than Derek ever was, even with you and Erica and Boyd in his pack."

Isaac immediately wondered how that was possible. How many werewolves Deucalion had to kill in order to be that powerful. He also wondered just how heartless Deucalion was, if the Demon Wolf felt nothing at betraying and slaughtering his own pack. It made Derek look like a True Alpha in comparison.

Despite those thoughts and despite knowing his presence probably wouldn't have meant anything, Isaac said, "I wanted to be there. I didn't want you to have to face them alone."

Scott's fingers came under his chin and lifted his face so Scott could give him a kiss, when they pulled away just enough to breathe Scott replied, "Thanks, but you helped out a lot by going with Allison to find our parents. Mom told me how you held the roof up so the entire cellar didn't collapse on all of you. I can't thank you enough for that."

Isaac blushed, still a little uncomfortable with such heartfelt praise, and mumbled, "Well, it wouldn't have mattered if Stiles hadn't shown up."

"Dude, that was because of the eclipse. Its not your fault. Besides, if it hadn't been for you there would've been nothing left for Stiles to do to help. You did great, really."

He looked away and laid his head on Scott's shoulder again, not sure if he'd ever be truly comfortable when on the receiving end of a compliment. Another lingering result of his troubled childhood. At least he hadn't panicked while he was in that cellar, thankfully he'd had other things on his mind at the time to distract him.

After a few seconds when it became clear Isaac wasn't about to say anything, Scott hesitantly asked, "So, uh, would you mind telling me why you were with Allison the day of that memorial concert? Its kind of been bugging me, especially since you and her haven't really been the best of friends."

Isaac immediately felt guilty and wished he'd been able to tell Scott earlier because he'd known Scott would wonder, "She wasn't at school and I wanted to make sure nothing had happened to her. Then she insisted on trying to figure out who the Darach was and, well, I couldn't just let her go chasing after the Darach alone."

He felt Scott nod a couple times, thinking over what had just been said, before slowly saying, "Okay, but if your feelings for her haven't changed then why would you go check up on her?"

Isaac lifted his head up to look Scott in the eye, "Because even if I'm not her biggest fan, you still care about what happens to her."

A grin grew on Scott's face and Isaac knew he'd heard the meaning behind Isaac's words, that he'd done it on Scott's behalf. Scott didn't say anything, instead he pushed Isaac down so that they were both laying on the bed and laid his head on Isaac's chest. Usually it was the other way around, but Isaac knew Scott needed it this way every so often. Trying to save everyone and always do the right thing, while noble and something Isaac really appreciated in Scott, could be incredibly stressful and disappointing and frustrating and a huge cross to bear.

They laid for a few minutes, just enjoying the fact that they still had each other after everything that had happened recently, before Scott pensively broke the silence, "Do you remember what Deaton said, about the darkness that Stiles and Allison and I would feel?"

He did, even though Deaton had been kind of cryptic with his warning, "Yeah. Why?"

Scott's arm went around his waist as he answered, "Its just … I can feel it and I keep wondering if it will ever be more than that. Like if it might eventually affect me. How I think or feel or react to something and if someone might get hurt because of it."

Isaac looked down at Scott, but Scott wasn't looking at his face. Instead Scott was looking at his hand on Isaac's waist. He was shocked that Scott would think he might get someone hurt because of this darkness that Deaton had warned them about. But at the same time he wasn't all that surprised that Scott was worrying about it.

Still, he had complete confidence when he said, "That won't happen, Scott."

That got him to look at Isaac, "How can you be sure?"

"You're a True Alpha. I don't think you would've become an alpha the way you did if you were willing to do things the way Derek or Peter would have. That kind of goodness has to count for something, right?"

Scott didn't quite seem convinced, "But wouldn't a True Alpha worry about it? Wonder about it?"

Isaac shook his head, not wanting to have this conversation go in a great big circle, "You're over-thinking this."

Scott snorted, grinning for a second before he sobered and quietly said, "Just … if I ever do anything that doesn't seem … well, like something I'd do, feel free to stop me."

Isaac kind of wanted to question Scott as to why he was asking Isaac of all people, rather than Stiles or Allison. They'd known him longer and both had the same darkness that Scott was talking about so Isaac figured they'd probably have a better feel for when Scott might be doing something in a way that wasn't quite normal for him. There were also all the times Isaac and Scott had fought before they got together and Scott had always come out on top, which had all been before Scott became an alpha. So he didn't quite see why Scott was trusting him with this instead of someone who knew how to stop him.

But he didn't say any of that, simply due to the fact that Scott was trusting him to be there in case he started doing something he'd regret later on, instead what he said was, "Okay."

Thankfully, that seemed enough to satisfy Scott, who wordlessly laid his head back down on Isaac's chest. Both of them knew that more supernatural, werewolf-related crap could easily happen. Deaton's warning had been pretty clear and what with Kate Argent leading to Gerard and the kanima and then the Alpha Pack and the Darach, Isaac wouldn't be too surprised if sooner or later something else would come their way. Until that happened, however, he was going to enjoy being with Scott and living in a home that actually felt like home.


End file.
